Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login

Band-in-a-Box VS OpenMPT

Compare Band-in-a-Box VS OpenMPT and see what are their differences

Warmup Inbox
Warmup Inbox is a tool that automates the process of warming up your email inboxes, raising your sender reputation and inbox health automatically. featured
Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

Band-in-a-Box logo Band-in-a-Box

Band-in-a-Box is so easy to use!

OpenMPT logo OpenMPT

OpenMPT is a popular tracker software for Windows.
  • Band-in-a-Box Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-02
  • OpenMPT Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-30

Band-in-a-Box features and specs

  • Versatile Auto-Accompaniment
    Band-in-a-Box generates accompaniment in various genres and styles, making it useful for musicians in need of backing tracks for practice, composition, or performance.
  • Ease of Use
    The software is designed with user-friendliness in mind, allowing musicians of all skill levels to create complex musical arrangements with minimal effort.
  • Extensive Style Set
    Offers a vast library of musical styles and realtracks, providing users with a wide range of options for their musical creations.
  • MIDI and RealTracks Integration
    Combines MIDI tracks with RealTracks (audio recordings of real instruments), enhancing the realism and quality of the produced music.
  • Regular Updates and Support
    Frequent updates and active customer support ensure that the software stays current with new features and improvements.

Possible disadvantages of Band-in-a-Box

  • High Cost
    The software and its expansions can be expensive, which might be a barrier for some musicians.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, mastering all the features and capabilities of the software can take a significant amount of time.
  • Resource Intensive
    The software can be demanding on computer resources, requiring a powerful system for optimal performance, especially when using RealTracks.
  • Outdated Interface
    Some users find the interface to be outdated compared to more modern music production software, which can affect the overall user experience.
  • Limited Customization of Styles
    Although it offers a wide range of styles, the ability to customize and manipulate these styles is somewhat limited compared to fully-fledged DAWs.

OpenMPT features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    OpenMPT features a straightforward and intuitive interface that even beginners can navigate easily.
  • Free and Open-Source
    OpenMPT is completely free to use and its source code is available under the BSD license, encouraging community contributions and transparency.
  • Wide Range of Formats
    Supports a variety of audio module formats, including MOD, S3M, XM, and IT, making it versatile for different projects.
  • VST Plugin Support
    Allows the use of VST plugins for extended functionality, enabling users to add effects and instruments that are not natively supported.
  • High-Quality Sound Engine
    Provides a high-fidelity sound engine capable of rendering detailed and complex audio compositions.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Available for both Windows and macOS, increasing its accessibility for users on different operating systems.
  • Regular Updates
    Receives frequent updates and support from the developer community, ensuring ongoing improvement and bug fixes.

Possible disadvantages of OpenMPT

  • Steep Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, mastering all the features and functionalities can take significant time and effort.
  • Limited Native Effects
    Compared to some competitors, OpenMPT has fewer built-in effects, requiring users to rely on external VST plugins for more advanced audio manipulation.
  • No Native Linux Support
    Does not have an official Linux version, which can be a drawback for users who prefer or exclusively use Linux.
  • Older Tracker Paradigm
    Being a tracker software, it may feel outdated to some users who are accustomed to modern DAWs with different workflows.
  • Resource Intensive
    Heavy projects with multiple tracks and VST plugins can become resource-intensive, potentially causing performance issues on lower-end systems.

Analysis of Band-in-a-Box

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Band-in-a-Box is considered a good tool for musicians, especially for those who need quick accompaniments or those who lack access to a full band for practicing or composing. Its broad range of features and regular updates make it a reliable choice in the realm of music production software.

Why this product is good

  • Band-in-a-Box is a versatile music software program that allows musicians to create, arrange, and produce music easily. It offers a wide range of features including automatic accompaniment generation, a large library of musical styles, and integrated music notation and editing capabilities. The software is particularly popular among composers, songwriters, and educators for its ease of use and time-saving functionalities.

Recommended for

  • Composers seeking quick arrangement ideas.
  • Songwriters aiming to test song structures.
  • Musicians needing practice accompaniments.
  • Music educators looking for a teaching aid.
  • Amateur and professional musicians looking for a versatile tool in music creation.

Band-in-a-Box videos

+ Add

Your first 15 minutes with BAND-IN-A-BOX 2018

OpenMPT videos

+ Add

How to link VST effects in OpenMPT

More videos:

  • Review - About MPT / OpenMPT

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Band-in-a-Box and OpenMPT)

Band-in-a-Box

OpenMPT

Music Tools
48 48%
Music Tools
52% 52
Audio & Music
42 42%
Audio & Music
58% 58
Music
47 47%
Music
53% 53
Audio
0 0%
Audio
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Band-in-a-Box and OpenMPT. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenMPT seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 25 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Band-in-a-Box mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Band-in-a-Box yet. Tracking of Band-in-a-Box recommendations started around Mar 2021.

OpenMPT mentions (25)

  • need help finding these wav files.
    The bottom of the page says it's on The Mod Archive. What format is the song in? If it's still in its original modular format (as opposed to rendered to MP3 or WAV) you should be able to open it in OpenMPT and save the samples from there. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • wind ohs eggs pee
    The software that is used to make the music is (likely) OpenMPT, which is a software I use quite often for making Tracker Music. Tracker music is a really fun form of music software to work with if you don't know how music notes work but do know how computers work. If you want an example of how Tracker Music sounds, check out Dues Ex's title theme, which was composed entirely with a older tracker. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Are there any DAWs with something similar to Audacity's "Audio Selection Sequencer 2" plugin?
    There is also a type of app that is more sophisticated than Audio Selection Sequencer2, but simpler than a typical DAW sequencer. The type of application that I'm thinking of is called a "Tracker". Music Trackers were very popular back in the '90's, but their popularity has declined considerably since DAWs became common on PCs. One of the few music trackers that still exists is OpenMPT https://openmpt.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • does anyone know of a good daw that replicates the snes sound chips?
    When making mockups I typically use OpenMPT. With the 8-tap Sinc Resampler: Kaizer Window Filter at 72%(?) bandwidth. Didn't test it extensively for accuracy but it outputs a warm sound not unlike the SNES, bass becomes "plastic" in a similar fashion. For echo I just use the default Direct X Audio Effects Echo plugin but it's inaccurate. Another thing with OpenMPT is it has a decent sample editor so you can work... Source: over 2 years ago
  • How did you get into microtonal?
    My music theory teacher mentioned that in the days before 12 equal that G# and Ab were not the same pitch. IIRC he said that G# was lower than Ab. That was enough to send me down the microtonal Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole once years later I got my hands on something that could let me explore tuning other than 12 equal - and that was a music tracker. This is one that survives to this day and now has native... Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Band-in-a-Box and OpenMPT, you can also consider the following products

Guitar Pro - Create, play and share your tabs

Sibelius - Sibelius is a virtual score creation tool which allows composers to easily create new piano scores, developed by Avid.

JJazzLab - Fed up with boring backing tracks ? Try JJazzLab!

LilyPond - GNU LilyPond is a computer program for music engraving.

Impro-Visor - To assure our visitors that Impro-Visor is clean, we have granted it with the "100% FREE" Softpedia award. [more certifications]. Welcome to. Impro-Visor. Jazz Improvisation Advisor.

Finale - Finale, the world standard for music notation software, lets you compose, arrange, notate, and print engraver-quality sheet music.

Loading...