Quote:

That's the main problem with BIAB. There are far too many tiny features that don't really add to the program but are there because they are the pet idea of a single user. Many experienced users think that P&G's willingness to respond to the wish lists is the sign of a wonderful organization but I consider it to be a case of too much democracy. It has lead to an unwieldly program with it's complicatesd interface that the beta testers love but can be a turn-off for new users. There must be many good muscians who haven't the stomach to learn a program like BIAB.



I completely agree. In fact, I've sucesfully taught my wife how to use the basic functions of very complex DAWS like Cubase or Reaper, but I've never had that sucess with BIAB. Even if I've always told her that, as a singer, learning to use BIAB would be one of the best things she could do, she finds the interface just too complicated and unintuitive. And I must agree.

In my opinion, BIAB interface was perfect years ago, when the program was much simpler: you just typed the chords, choosed a MIDI style and that was all. With the introduction of Realdrums, Realtracks, Loops or MIDI tracks, wich you can choose individually, the program's basic philosophy and workflow changed drastically, but its user interface remained basically the same. New functions were just added through the addition of new menus, icons and options, but there was no integration between new and old features. For example, the "Soloist" menu is still there, but now you can use it not only for generating a MIDI solo, but for generating a strummed real guitar, a solo sax or even a drum loop. Try to explain that to a newcomer and he will be crazy; in fact, I find very dificult to justify the logic behind that.

BIAB musical database is a true treasure for any musician, and I still think that buying BIAB is one of the best investiments any musician can do, but frankly I find that one of the best things PGMusic could do in this moment would be to invest some time rethinking its interface / workflow, and making the interface simpler and more modern looking. That not only would improve the joy of using the program to existing users but would attract an new generation of potential users who find the program just too complicated.

(Sorry for the off topic)