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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Here is a simple question with respect to file transfer from Mac to Windows. The Help file says:
Transferring Files – Windows/Macintosh
Band-in-a-Box song, style, and patch map files are directly compatible.
Windows to Macintosh
- Any Macintosh file automatically gets a 128 byte header added on to it by the Mac system.
If transferring the files by modem, make sure the Macintosh modem software strips off the header off the files. Other than that, the files are identical.
If using a floppy drive on the Mac that can read Windows disks, make sure the floppy is formatted on a PC first.
Now, if a Mac user uploaded some BB file to a web server and a Windows user downloads this file -> would this file be readable by the Windows user? Does this above cited 128 byte header cause any trouble for the Windows user?
Martin
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I find that downloaded bb files work in both platforms immediately as downloaded.
Only problem I've ever experienced along those lines was the one time that someone had set their Macintosh to work only with file suffixes in all caps. The files I had created in the Win BB weren't being opened or recognized on his end until I figured that out. All he had to do was rename the files I sent, making the suffixes, ".sgu" into caps, ".SGU" and they ran on his Mac then.
I think the stuff you quote from the Help file may be just a trifle dated, or maybe I've been doing it wrong, but I do what works and stop right there.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Posts: 5,275
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Quote:
... and they ran on his Mac then.
Soo ... if this caps stuff was the only hitch with respect to file portability, there's no problem to run some file that was created by a Mac user on a Windows system (?).
I concur thoroughly with you in that the info snippet from the help file may be a little outdated. Who's using a modem anyway these days, and I don't want to give a thorough workout to the list of 'important files' without which BB won't run and and which is listed right before the paragraph of file transfers in the Help file - likely outdated as well.
Yet this Help-file-info-snippet with respect to file transfer indicated some potential trouble with respect to file tranfer from Mac to Windows. Without a Mac on my hand, it's difficult to check that out ... and I was just curious anyway.
If there's no problem transferring files from Mac to Windows, then this Help file and the manual needs modification.
Martin
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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Look carefully at what I stated.
To reiterate, I said that I personally have had no unsolvable problems with it. Matter of fact, I've only had the one problem reported above, once. And I found the solve.
I've been collaborating on jingles and industrial musics using BB between my own Macs, Windows machines and also with other firms that use only Macs and only Windows for years.
I have never had a problem opening BB files created on a Mac with any Windows platform running BB.
The only problem noted was the other way 'round, when that one fella couldn't open the bb files created on my Windows machine. And it was easily solved once I figured out what wat causing his problem. That took a day or two of go-rounds, but when I finally asked him to email me one of his files that DID open on his Mac, I spotted that all caps suffix right away. Incidentally, my Win machine didn't care about the all caps, it ran the file fine, but his Mac was somehow set to use all caps for suffixes, a tweak he had done and not the default now anyway.
If you need to do this, just try it first. Cross bridges of problem only when and if one appears in front of you. For it may never appear.
The Windows version is "out in front" of the Mac version in quite a few ways. That means that there are some things that you can invoke in the Windows version that the Mac won't recognize or cannot do. The files will still load and play, though.
Sometimes the other guy does not have the Style file that I chose, or these days, may not have the RealTrack, depending upon what version of BB he bought and installed. Even then, the file loads on his Mac but will yield the "Style not Found" or "RealTrack N/A" messages.
TIP: I always include a full mp3 of the BB song done at my end. That way the other end can compare it to what they are hearing and see if their BB is actually playing all the little Bar Settings, etc. as it should. This is a big help and should be followed religiously IMO. Resolves problems that would otherwise go unnoticed until you hear what the other fellow did to the file and say, "Where's the fadeout?" or something like that. See, if his machine doesn't do one of the things you worked so hard on, he has no way of knowing that unless he can hear that full mp3 of what it sounded like at your end and compare.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 5,275
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Try it first usually is the most straight forward approach to such issues. Oh well - incidentally 'twas just a question of a fellow user on the German forum. The mp3 reference is a good point in case, indeed. PG Music might pick up from this thread some incentive that it may give its manual/Help file a bit more attention here.
Thanks for your info on this subject, Mac.
Martin
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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