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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13 |
Hi,
Just wondering about the pricing on the audiophile edition - I noticed that there are nice discounts for all other versions of BIAB-MAC 2010. Was this an oversight, or intentional. Are you phasing out the audiophile edition? It's just that in the past, the Audiophile edition was incrementally more expensive than the next most comprehensive package, but now with the discounted price on all other packages, there's a big gap.
How do people feel about the Audiophile edition? Worth it? (I know, I know - it's subjective) - storage for large files is getting cheaper every day, so why not start with the highest quality source files you can, right?
I was initially leaning towards purchasing this edition, but now the price gap has me thinking twice...
Thanks,
Jeff
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,778
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,778 |
A big chunk of the price is the included 1.5 Terabyte hard drive. Those types of drives sell on Amazon for about $125. http://www.amazon.com/Iomega-Prestige-De...3892&sr=8-1I would say it depends on what you are using it for. The audiophile would be best if you are doing recordings, where you wouldn't want to introduce small amounts of noise, as is present on compressed files. For everyday use (practising, casual recordings), the non Audiophile version is fine.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13 |
Thanks for the response - what bit rate is used for the compressed files? I know there's a million opinions on audio file compression, but are we talking 128 kbps neighborhood, 320 kpbs, or some higher, variable compression?
Also, how much space is left on the 1.5T drive with that Audiophile installation? Maybe it would be worth it if there was a ton of space left over that could be used for other storage.
Cheers,
Jeff
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 169
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 169 |
I was disappointed there was not some sort of discount for people who had bought the usb hd full BIAB in the past but I do understand the HD price for audiophile edition is expensive. Maybe in the future I will get the audiophile edition as I want to do recording. The price is too high for me at the moment so I bought the USB version.
I am pleased with the 2010 version and so pleased to have scrolling - it works so well with my magic mouse.
Jim
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,778
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,778 |
>> Also, how much space is left on the 1.5T drive with that Audiophile installation? Maybe it would be worth it if there was a ton of space left over that could be used for other storage.
There's about 450 GB left. Haven't weighed it, but that seems like a ton of space.
On the non-audiophile version....
>>> what bit rate is used for the compressed files?
Different rates are used for the files. Stereo ones use more of course. Compression rates are in the 64 to 128 range.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 196
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 196 |
Quote:
A big chunk of the price is the included 1.5 Terabyte hard drive.
Those types of drives sell on Amazon for about $125. http://www.amazon.com/Iomega-Prestige-De...3892&sr=8-1
I would say it depends on what you are using it for. The audiophile would be best if you are doing recordings, where you wouldn't want to introduce small amounts of noise, as is present on compressed files. For everyday use (practising, casual recordings), the non Audiophile version is fine.
I'm thinking about buying the Mac Audiophile edition. A couple of questions: is that "small amount of noise" really the main issue in terms of a discernible sonic difference between the audiophile and other editions? Sure, I'd always like to avoid noise, but it seems to me that it might not be much of an issue with many rock or country styles -- more of an issue with a quiet jazz style that might be using mainly piano and bass. Will I hear other differences? (I should mention that I am fussy -- I never buy Itunes from the Apple store, for example, because I can hear a subtle difference between a 256 bit rate, vs CDs I convert myself with a lossless codec).
Another question: I own both the Mac and Windows versions of BIAB. If I buy the Audiophile version on one platform, can I use the aiff (or in the case of Windows, wav) files, with the non-Audiophile version on the other platform? I've been hedging my bets by purchasing the latest Ultra or Everything Pak in both Mac and Win versions, but buying and consistently upgrading the Audiophile versions both on platforms would be stretching the budget a little too far.
And finally: I'd need to back up the drive, obviously. Since it ships on a 1.5 T hard drive, but apparently about 1/3 of the space is still open, can I back it up to a 1T drive? I'm also assuming its a USB, not Firewire drive, correct?
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13 |
Quote:
>>> what bit rate is used for the compressed files?
Different rates are used for the files. Stereo ones use more of course. Compression rates are in the 64 to 128 range.
Sorry to beat this one to death, but I just want to make sure I understand correctly. Are you saying that the bit rates used are comparable to the bit rate used in the old (non- ITunes plus) songs you'd buy from ITunes (which were 128 kbps stereo files typically?) I understand that this breaks down to the same as having a 64 kbps bit rate file for the Left channel, and a 64 kbps bit rate file for the Right channel, so for instruments recorded in mono, 64 kbps compression would be comparable to the quality when listening to a sound source on one channel of an old iTunes store-purchased stereo song (like a guitar panned all the way to the left for example).
If this is the case, then I would think that the fidelity would be substantially higher in the audiophile versions, not simply a difference only noticed by those doing critical recordings. I would think that given the target audience of this product, many (if not most) customers would be able to hear some of the unpleasant sound qualities like those in the old iTunes store files, when listening with earphones or speakers.
I'm sure you've had to strike a balance between file size and quality, but it seems like there's a lot of area between the 64-128 kbps range and the AIFF file. I just want to make sure I understand this correctly.
Cheers,
Jeff
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 728
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 728 |
Hi Peter!...I'm considering the Audiophile edition for my next upgrade, also. Currently, I have the Everything HD edition but I'd like to have the higher quality recordings for studio work. What resolution are you using to record the RT/RD tracks? 24/96? More? I'm assuming the WAVs on the Audiophile HD are 16/44.1. Is it possible to download the WAV version of a particular RT/RD style if you already own the style in another edition? How many questions can I ask in one email?  BTW...I LOVE BIAB...it's the number one tool in my songwriting/production arsenal. I could live without it, I guess, but I sure wouldn't want to. Kudos. Bob
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,367
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,367 |
Hello Bob,
Yes, the audio files (AIFF) on the hard drive are all 16/44.1. Some instruments may originally be recorded at a higher resolution, but the final mixes are 16/44.1. These files are only available on hard drive - we don't make them available for download. Only the compressed audio files are available for download.
Andrew
PG Music Inc.
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