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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 525
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 525 |
BIAB for Mac is way behind the windows version.
It seems clear that there are very separate “code branches” for each platform and so progress on OSX is slow.
wouldn't it make sense to put a pause on Windows development and apply “all hands on deck” to consolidating the code base
to allow better cross-platform development?,
Us OSX users for example don’t get ANY of the features for supporting plugins, Audiounits and the like. Nor the conductor features. It seems that
BIAB for OSX is written very much in parallel to windows.
i will be glad yo offer you my services to assist with rewriting this stuff.
I have much experience in working with C++ and REALbasic - which is a great cross-platform tool/IDE/language for writing app GUIs that work great on both platforms. I also have an in-house source code translator that i wrote myself, which allows me to convert REALbasic source code into pure C++, where i need the
extra performance edge, or features that RB cannot give me. If you PM me i will be glad to give you more information. And would be glad to offer my services to
help you unify your codebase once and for all.
I’m sure your current arrangement must be a right mess - not to mention that much of the BIAB GUI is just ugly and hasn’t been changed since the Atari ST !
MacOS Sequoia, M4 Pro Mac Mini , 64GB RAM 512GB SSD ,
BIAB, Cubase, Ableton, Logic Pro, SCALER 3, GigLad, AnyTune, Synthesizer V Pro,Vienna Ensemble Pro, Audiofuse, Fractal FM3, KOMPLETE 15, StreamDeck, iReal Pro
White beard, beer belly, bald patch
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 22
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 22 |
Excellent post and points. The GUI, while being old and familiar, a bit like a favourite old shirt, could do with some modernizing.
Also, Mac users need features such as you've mentioned, but also full notation and lead sheet functionality. That is sorely needed for those who use BIAB either live or in a studio setting.
Yet we Mac users pay the same price for BIAB as Windows users. So surely, the least we can expect is the same full implementation of all features?
And I'd rather have the features catch up to the Windows version than see a drop in price for the Mac version. I'm happy to have paid for the Everything Pak on its own HD, but the more I play with it, the more I see missing from the Windows version that a friend and co-musician runs.
Imagine if Adobe put out the Mac version of Photoshop for the same price as the Windows version, but left out a whole bunch of features??? Same thing....
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Quote:
Excellent post and points. The GUI, while being old and familiar, a bit like a favourite old shirt, could do with some modernizing.
Also, Mac users need features such as you've mentioned, but also full notation and lead sheet functionality. That is sorely needed for those who use BIAB either live or in a studio setting.
Yet we Mac users pay the same price for BIAB as Windows users. So surely, the least we can expect is the same full implementation of all features?
And I'd rather have the features catch up to the Windows version than see a drop in price for the Mac version. I'm happy to have paid for the Everything Pak on its own HD, but the more I play with it, the more I see missing from the Windows version that a friend and co-musician runs.
Imagine if Adobe put out the Mac version of Photoshop for the same price as the Windows version, but left out a whole bunch of features??? Same thing....
1. The company is not a government organization. They do what they do to make money. If there was money in it then they would hire all the required people. Mac systems have not reached 10 percent market share, and it might be a long time for there to be 'more', especially now that Mr. Jobs has departed.
2. The software was orphaned by generations of Operating Systems which lacked any compiler for the software.
3. Mac software is a one trick pony as pertains to the operating system of the day. The Mac folks may re-write some drivers or other thing and hamstring your program. And Mac users want the software to be look and feel like everything else.
So I guess unless you understand and can code in Lisp or whatever it was the PC version was written in, the ability to write in C or Cplus or plus plus whatever is moot.
I'd suspect that if there are efforts to move forward in development, that modules are being ported one at a time for 64 bit computing platforms.
In the great timeline of computing evolution there will come a day when the hardware will query the software and adapt for it. Until that day, Mac will continue to try to offer a closed everything is here that you need shop. If they wanted an open source thing it would have happened long ago. Truth is they want things to be an app for their computer, their phone, and their player.
Hollywood here you come.
Perhaps if Mac users paid double the development team would switch gears, I don't know.
Free Enterprise is still alive anyway.
Perhaps someday Dr. Gannon will pen a memoir and we can all see the evolution of the software and the impediments that exist to make a cross platform piece of software that runs on windows, linux, and mac. Until then it is what it is I guess.
BTW, I spent most of my adult life running a Unix shop, and much of the software I wrote is still running Canada's largest chain of fitness clubs. My wife was a key component and I sold her with the company to the Good Life guys, and she's still there, 26 years and counting.
I wish she'd come home for supper. The candles are lit, the pasta is handmade and waiting...
4.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 22
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 22 |
Staunch defence of PGMusic there, but I have not suggested they are a government organization, nor have I asked for anything free. Merely the same for our money as the Windows users get. Just on the point of market share - Macs are almost up to 10% - but that is of the total computer market. And of the 90% that is Windows and "other" (eg Linux etc), a VERY large proportion would be business computers. Not those who would buy BIAB for the most part. Yes, I know BIAB has traditionally been a Windows program, but in the music/multimedia world, Macs are a significant proportion. I suspect that the reason that the Mac version of BIAB may not (yet) sell as well as the Windows version is purely due to a lack of Mac users actually knowing that there IS a Mac version...! And perhaps some don't buy the Mac version because they know that several features are lacking compared to the Windows version. I know two people with Macs who run BIAB under Windows on their Macs via Bootcamp. They were amazed when I recently bought the Everything PAK Mac version! But they smile when they show me their lead sheets and notation etc..... 
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Sometimes there are reasons and reasons. A lot of people know alleged stuff, but that's it. Stuff. At the end of the day, when a business owner looks at the return, he or she says BINGO. Until then, you are, in the vernacular, SOL. That's as honest and as blunt as I can be.
No one, except those who wrote software for Mac, knows what really the impact was of these days when you got blindsided by Mac trying to lock up their platform. Who on Mac gets a 3rd party proggy to do graphics? No one!
Think in thru. Pretend to be business owner making a business plan. YOu'd go..MAC WhAT?
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 22
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 22 |
Try suggesting that attitude to the writers of programs like Reaper, Photoshop, Cubase, Reason, Ableton, and all the hundreds of plugins that work equally well on both platforms. Macs, with almost 10% of the TOTAL computer market, - is a LOT of Macs.... And of course, if we got an iPad version as well... I'm not sure why you're defending what is an obvious weakness in the BIAB stable - the Mac version costs the same as the Windows version, but lacks numerous features, some of which are game changers, like Notation and Lead Sheets. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Band In A Box. And I love the Mac version that I bought. But it wasn't cheap, and to find that mates with the Windows version can do stuff on their setups that I can't is somewhat galling. OK - I don't want to get into any arguments here - as I said, I love BIAB. I'd rather just ask nicely for parity with our Windows colleagues. So - no more from me on the topic.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 10
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 10 |
"Who on Mac gets a 3rd party proggy to do graphics? No one!"
This is far from correct. The Mac has long been the dominant professional graphics platform (and a huge force in the music creation world), from the days of Pagemaker, Quark, Freehand, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and many more. Those are still huge installed bases, and they are not shrinking. Yes, the graphics capabilities of an out-of-the box Mac are great. So are the music capabilities!
I've been using BIAB for 10 years and I'm somewhat frustrated at the lack of updating in the Mac interface, but I appreciate the many improvements that have been made to the program as a whole. Lead sheets are high on my wish list.
Allan Smith
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Well, leadsheets get a lot of flac in the Windows version, people want professional engraving right now. Even sooner. When it doesn't work the first time it's deemed broken.
So...
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,987
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,987 |
As a user of both the Mac & PC versions, I can understand some frustration. However, the Mac version usually comes out within 3 or 4 months of the PC version. (But of course, I'm one of those users that usually buys the upgrade within hours of its release, and then have my computer downloading all night, just so I don't lose any precious time with this addictive software!) Also, as I recall, the Mixer (which most people really enjoy using) was introduced in the Mac version. Us poor PC users had to wait almost 6 months to get it.  There are some things about the PC version that I do prefer, but the Mac version seems to be catching up. And I still don't know of any program that comes close to doing what BIAB does, at least for me. Steve
Steve Young Music"In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of." - Robert Schumann
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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