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I'm looking to buy a new Windows laptop that will run BiaB. Any recommendations? I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to inquire on.
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My laptop is a pretty old Toshiba so I’ll let others recommend current ones. My only recommendation is, don’t skimp on the CPU.
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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The only laptop I'll buy is a ThinkPad. They are almost bulletproof. I'm still using a 2002 model on stage.
I can't give you details, but I always go for the biggest HD and the most RAM they offer. These are the kinds of things you can't have too much of.
Insights and incites by 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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Since you're purchasing new and want one primarily to run Band-in-a-Box my suggestions are:
1) If you can choose between a desktop or a laptop, choose the desktop. You may be able to use your existing monitor, speakers or other accessories thus saving some upfront costs. Desktop parts are cheaper than their laptop counterparts and MUCH easier to swap if there is a need to in the future.
2) Buy a name brand you trust. Dell, Lenova, HP, Toshiba and Acer all have well designed and configured products. I prefer Dell just because I've used a lot of their stuff, the website product support is easy to navigate and is very comprehensive, the included hardware diagnostics are good and you can download user, parts and service manuals.
3) The two main cpu processor manufacturers are Intel and AMD. While both work well I prefer Intel because the Intel cpu support chips seem to perform better in audio tests than AMD. I would look for i3, i5 or i7 cpu chips. The higher the number, the more powerful the Intel cpu.
4) Buy as much ram as you can afford with 8 GB as a minimum and 16 GB or higher desirable.
5) Buy as large of a primary storage drive as you can afford.
6) If you must choose between cpu, amount of ram or storage drive size I'd want more ram first, upgraded cpu second and storage third.
6) Finally, The two main versions of Microsoft Windows are Home and Pro. Get Pro because Pro has more configuring options you may need later on since you're working with audio.
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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If you're looking for a laptop, consider a USB to audio output device to drive external speakers, rather than the 3.5mm plug on the laptop. The USB connection will be much more reliable.
The speakers in laptops leave a lot to be desired, and you'll need an external sound system. (You may have this already.)
Definitely go for Intel chipset, and my recommendation is i5 as a minimum (i7 preferred)
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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Definitely agree with VideoTrack on the Intel chips and the i5 or i7 recommendations. Have helped several others set up DAW audio systems, those that went with i3's were sadly disappointed early on due to speed and processing capabilities.
Jeff
Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2024, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3
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And I agree with VideoTrack on the USB to audio interface.
The USB connection is more reliable and the bandwidth is probably wider (depending on the computer) so the fidelity would be better.
Choose the outboard amp and speakers well. There are a number of near field powered monitors that should do the job nicely. Of course the better they sound, the more they generally cost, but choose your point of diminishing returns.
Insights and incites by 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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Thanks for the tips!
I'm wondering if a gaming laptop would be the way to go, since it is more powerful.
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A gaming laptop will have better graphics, and possibly sound, and probably more RAM.
Definitely you want to be checking processor (i5 and preferably i7), RAM (8Gb and preferably more, like 12 or 16), and disk drive capacity (like 1Tb plus). Check screen size that it is large enough for your viewing purposes.
Other things to check are the number of USB ports (and that USB-3 is included).
Touch screen might be a nice-to-have.
Does it have Bluetooth, wireless etc? (nearly everything now does).
What operating system is included? Windows Home(basic) or Windows Professional(more features).
Whatever you get now needs to last for hopefully a long time, so don't marginalize your purchase. Newer software features will come along to use up at least some of your spare resources.
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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I'm wondering if a gaming laptop would be the way to go, since it is more powerful. No need to have powerful gaming PCs -> BiaB runs swiftly even on somewhat dated PCs. I have BiaB running smoothly here on an i5 8GB Surface Pro with an affordable 400GB SD card. It's a perfect combination. You may even put the tablet easily on some music stand.
Martin
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PG Music Staff
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Most laptops that are new out on the market that have these minimum requirements are going to be able to run Band-in-a-Box (keep in mind these are the bare minimums): https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.requirements.htmAs far as my own personal opinion goes, if you want a smoother performance, I'd personally recommend a minimum of 6-8GB of RAM, and I've had nothing but good experiences with an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. The latest i7 chips offer up to six cores and 12 threads, making them better suited for advanced multitasking.
Cheers,
Ember
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The only laptop I'll buy is a ThinkPad. They are almost bulletproof. I'm still using a 2002 model on stage.
I can't give you details, but I always go for the biggest HD and the most RAM they offer. These are the kinds of things you can't have too much of.
Insights and incites by Notes Lots of good tips here, but I'll add a +1 for Lenovo ThinkPads. I'm on my second one now (a P17) and love it. An additional point to consider. Expansion I/O ports. Get as many as you can afford. If possible, select a laptop like my P17 that offers an I/O expansion. Mine connects via Thunderbolt3 and includes USB, HDMI and other kinds of ports. In the music world, ports are gold. Audio interface. MIDI keyboard controller. External SSDs. MIDI foot controller (like the Behringer FCB1010). My specific suggestions: 1) the fastest CPU you can afford, 2) at least 16 GB for RAM and 3) an external SSD for BiaB and other instruments and samples. With an external SSD, you can get away with a 500 MB internal SSD. On my P17, I have a 1 TB internal drive and 3 external SSDs: one 2 TB Thunderbolt3 SSD for BiaB and other VSTi instruments and their samples, and two USB3.2 2 TB drives, one for work files and one for backups. A basic laptop with a 500 MB internal SSD and one 2 TB external USB 3.2 (make sure the laptop provides USB 3.2 support!) for BiaB would be a great place to start. Or finish. I use Samsung external SSDs. Check out the Samsung T7 USB 3.2 drives. They're about 9x faster than a high speed spinner. A 1 TB T7 is $120 and a 2 TB T7 is $220. Samsung T7 1 TB Samsung T7 2 TB
Last edited by TheMaartian; 03/21/22 10:32 PM.
ThinkPad i9 32GB RAM 7TB SSD; Win11 Pro; PreSonus Studio 1810c; BiaB 2024 Ultra
Studio One 6 Pro; MuseScore 4; Melodyne 5 Studio; Acoustica Premium 7; Guitar Pro 8
Gig Performer 5; NI S61 MK3; Focal Shape 65; Beyerdynamic DT 880 & 770
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Perhaps something else to look into: an SSD hard drive. I installed BIAB on one and the difference is like night and day. Just my 2 cents worth.
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Expert
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Perhaps something else to look into: an SSD hard drive. I installed BIAB on one and the difference is like night and day. Just my 2 cents worth. +1 I think many laptops now come with SSDs by default.
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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Could not agree more about the SSD. They can even make slow computers fast again.
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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i'm all in on m2 ssd's both internal and external. love em' on my new mini pc. its like a speed demon running biab/rb/reaper music software. heres a very interesting site with a long list of laptops (and mini pc's) and their tested dpc latencies/reviews. the lower the dpc obviously the better for music production imho. https://www.notebookcheck.net/DPC-Latency-Ranking-Which-laptops-and-Windows-tablets-offer-the-lowest-latency.504376.0.htmlimho anyone anticipating buying a new lappie should assess the chosen lappies dpc. hn year to all. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 01/11/23 01:58 PM.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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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!
We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.
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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