- 2020 Band-in-a-Box for Windows Released -

[Jim Fogle]

PG Music released the 2020 edition of Band-in-a-Box for Windows earlier today (11-30-2019).

Some features everyone might like include: New tempo and pitch shifting software. Multi-riff feature allows multi generations of instruments at the same time. Almost all RealDrums have notation transcription. Equalize tempo wizard allows varying song tempo to be adjusted to a fixed tempo. New harmony wizard.

New content includes 202 RealTracks including choir vocals, More midi only styles and 15 midi SuperTracks.

RealBand features essentially follow the Band-in-a-Box features however it remains a 32 bit program.

The DAW plug-in has been enhanced with additional settings, auto harmonize wizard and ability to read or write more settings with the Band-in-a-Box program.

New for 2020 is the Loops-With-Style PAK 1. Per the website: 

Quote

Loops-with-Style PAK 1 gives you the chance to expand your loops collection with 100 new loops! We've taken the RealDrums and RealTracks source audio and remixed, remastered, and combined it to create these original loops. All of your favorite genres are covered, like jazz, funk, rock, pop, electronic, hip-hop, and more! To show them in action, we've created 50 new RealStyles that each include two of the loops. Plus, if you use the loops in Band-in-a-Box, we've included intelligent versions of the loops that automatically switch at A and B part markers. Each loop has a matching sister loop that works perfectly for another substyle!

New release sale prices last until December 31, 2019.  https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.packages.htm

[Grem]

Done.

Thanks for this info. I had forgot about BiaB being updated this time of year.

[Reid Rosefelt]

There's a lot of new stuff in the DAW plugin.  Audio harmonies of up to 1-4 voices can be added to any audio track.  Looking forward to trying that out, because the pitch shifting in BIAB is pretty good.

It wouldn't be a BIAB rollout without a new Xtra Styles PAK   $29 adds all these styles  to all the new styles that come with BIAB:

They only used to come up with a Styles PAK once a year, but now they are doing it twice a year.  Burying all 8 is $189, not a bad deal.

It costs a lot of money to keep updated with BIAB and all the Styles PAKs and upgrades, but I think that BIAB is arguably the very bt guitar VI around, if you are willing to call it a guitar VI)   Anyway, the results you can get with it are amazing.  Not too shabby for realistic background vocals either.

One thing that happened with PGMusic this year is that they very aggressively pushed BIAB 2019 on Facebook throughout the fall.   I saw ads all the time, all the way up until a week or two ago.  I saw them so often that I went back and checked to make sure I had the latest version.   I hope they have a generous grace period. 

They are a very reliable company, though. They pump out the new PC version at the end of every year. 

 

[ZincT]

They always manage to include something that makes the upgrade more compelling.
The improved DAW plugin looks very worthwhile. Curious to see what the Loops-with-style thing is.

I'll probably go for my usual PlusPak, Bonus 49 Pak and Xtra Styles Pak to keep my realtracks up-to-date.
I also find the MIDI it generates pretty good for driving VSTis.

[TheMaartian]

My final BF purchase. BIAB 2019 Mega ==> BIAB 2020 Ultra. ?

[mettelus]

Fleer Someone had mentioned last year that new users would find a lot of limitations without all of the packs, so I just updated to Ultra from Pro myself. I am suddenly thankful for their download manager (it is actually nicely done), I just set it to download only and walked away from it. There was no way I was going to manually download all of that one by one, since I was missing almost everything.

BIAB keeps hitting my radar, then falling off each year (third time's a charm?). I need to set aside time to actually make something with it this year. Maybe I will stick to the plugin and force myself to use that.

Edited December 2, 2019 by mettelus

[Fleer]

That wasn’t me, mettelus, no BIAB in my house (yet). 
 

Listen to my main man Shaggy:

You thought you saw me with the band box?

It wasn’t me. 

[InstrEd]

5 minutes ago, Fleer said:

You thought you saw me with the band box?

It wasn’t me. 

Do you have witnesses to back up your story ?  ?

[Grem]

Really like BiaB. Made myself sit and learn it. And I use it with Sample Tank. Makes a huge difference.

 

As ZT said, it does generate great midi also.

 

14 hours ago, mettelus said:

BIAB keeps hitting my radar, then falling off each year (third time's a charm?).

 

This happened to me also. But once I made myself learn the program, it was a much more satisfying experience. In fact once I started 'getting it' I was able to come up with songs in style I had never ventured into. Really worth the time spent to get to know it.

 

On 12/1/2019 at 8:03 AM, Reid Rosefelt said:

It wouldn't be a BIAB rollout without a new Xtra Styles PAK   $29 adds all these styles  to all the new styles that come with BIAB:

As I was kinda late getting to know how to use BiaB, I missed out on the Styles discounts. I only need 2 & 4. I will get those when they come out with a new pak in the summer.