For those who haven't taken part in the debate at the Yahoo BIAB group here's the group's moderator and one of BIAB's biggest proponents, Alasdair Macrae Birch, expressing the same sentiments but much more eloquently :


".....What I find disappointing/sad is the move away from further development in terms
of midi. At one time in my life I was involved in the development of the midi
standard, and sadly PG Music have implemented only a fraction of what they
could. MIDI was developed to handle virtually any types of music that is played,
in any meters, etc. To start with BIAB's ppqn (parts per quarter note)
resolution is only 120, most now use at least 960, and they are not making use
of all the midi control data.

As said before, if my recording engineering students are right the price of high
quality virtual instruments will get radically cheaper. So sadly, what the users
who don't understand midi and have clamored
for the "real tracks" have done, is pushed the development in a
direction which does not really in the end enhance the core product.

A much better and more flexible real instrument sound could be achieved by using
the great sounds from companies such as Garritan and implementing more midi
control data at higher resolution.

To my mind a better deal would have been to enhance the core product and form
strategic business relationships/bundles with the virtual instrument producers.

Sadly the it "sounds cheesy" users have pushed PG Music, IMO, down a potential
evolutionary dead-end. While the rest of us wait for the further development of
core features and midi resolution/control data.
IMO, PG Music made the decision that they could pump up the sales more by
implementing "real tracks" after years of bashing their head against the brick
wall when users constantly complained about "cheesy sounds" (As many of us in
this group know, we share their exasperation!) I just hope we can get PG Music
back on track......"

Last edited by alan S.; 12/14/09 05:20 PM.