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It has been over three months since we got BIAB 2014...I sure would like to get a complete 2014 PDF User Guide (and yes, I know I can use the 2013 PDF along with the new features PDF but I am hoping for an updated PDF for the updated software!)
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Well biab14 is perfectly usable, what I can see from the little I have used it so far.
But great things were promised back in December as a work in progress, ability to add/remove icons etc and unless I am mistaken nothing so far in that regard or bugs that were pointed out in other threads on forum.
Ok you may well say we have had a number of updates, but the way I look at it is and its my personal opinion, biab14 should never have been released with the new GUI the way it was.
To be honest looking back it came across to me personally as a bit of a half finished mish mash job.
Just my opinion.
Musiclover
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John,
A manual will eventually be available. This time around, the task of creating one would involve a huge amount of updated graphics to reflect the 2014 release. I'd imagine that that's very labour intensive.
Also ...
Since first buying the program back in 2006, one thing I've come to really appreciate about BIAB is that it is continually a "work in progress". And that's a great thing in my book!
I've also come to appreciate that PG Music are the most honourable company that I have ever dealt with (either in person or over the internet). They are amazing!
My experience is that PG Music have never rested on their laurels. Peter Gannon and his crew have constantly worked on BIAB to take it to where it is today. However anyone looks at it, the program is spectacular. I use it every day to write and record songs and it never ceases to astound me that I can sit here on my computer in Australia, type in some chords, and have some of the best musicians in the world helping me put together some incredibly amazing sounding works.
Personally, I find BIAB 2014 intuitive, and a delight to use. It does everything I need (and truckloads more beside). I disagree with musiclover. BIAB is most definitely not a "half-finished mish mash job" from where I sit. It's awesome!
Just my 2¢ worth of opinion.
Best regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Hi Noel
I think Musiclover was referring only to the rushed 1-December release, when there probably were known problems with the actuation of the new mixer display etc. I'm only presuming this because of his comment "biab14 should never have been released with the new GUI the way it was."
PG Music were quick with two follow ups (379 and 380) that same month, that fixed these problems and added new features.
I don't think Musiclover generally feels its a mish-mash program, but he'll be able to clarify.
(Also, I think PGM were nervous there would be a lynch mob coming over the hill if they didn't have something ready for Santa, especially as there had been a drought all year.)
Regarding that pdf manual? Yes, I'm still waiting too.
Regards
Trevor
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Hello Noel,
As Trevor says I am referring only to the initial release of biab14 and how it came across to me. This was my first impressions of biab14.
I also feel that (though others companies may not do so) it would have been very helpful if PG would have taken on board how the new GUI would comes across to people with poor eyesight such as myself. As a lot of older users are over 50 and maybe in same position, some input from us such as a few screenshots might have been helpful.
As I said in first paragraph of my other post I find biab perfectly usable, but hope that in the future (in my opinion) that the initial yearly releases don't require as many fixes.
I always appreciate your posts Noel and learn something from them. Thank you for all the help you have given me in the past.
Musiclover
Last edited by musiclover; 03/09/14 10:38 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I also feel that (though others companies may not do so) it would have been very helpful if PG would have taken on board how the new GUI would comes across to people with poor eyesight such as myself. As a lot of older users are over 50 and maybe in same position, some input from us such as a few screenshots might have been helpful. This should have been addressed better during beta testing. The complication with that is these testers are probably trying (testing) new features and learning where things got moved to, so 'color' probably comes in at a lower level of concern during beta. It is good to have these forums as a second shot at these type of items. I'd suggest a Wishlist Forum entry.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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We DID cuss and discuss the difficulty in viewing - and seeing - things during the Beta testing.
One of the issues we found out at the time was that people with different computers, different size screens and also the newer Windows Operating Systems seemed to report more screen space and more ability to adjust screen resolutions to where things onscreen in BiaB were larger and easier to see.
We did that by posting screenshots of what each setup looked like. There were quite a few who participated in that, as I recall.
Bottom line is that most of the reports from those using the older systems (XP, Vista) and smaller laptop or monitor screens showed less real estate available when Screen Resolutions were set large enough to really be able to see things, when resetting Screen Resolution higher, BB shows more of the Tool Icons on the smaller screen, but at the expense of everything else, Chord Sheet, Notation, etc. getting even smaller.
Win7 and Win8, on the other hand, coupled with the newer and larger screens and drivers, yields an easier to see Display IMO, having used both an XP and a Win7 laptop during the Beta.
Fast Forward to today, some three months or so of usage on, I now find that I can hook my BB USB drive up to the old XP laptop and find and see everything a LOT easier due to more familiarity with the new GUI and these several months of working with BB on a daily basis.
Display could still be bigger and better, though. Maybe that's something for a future version release, at least I'm hoping. By then XP and/or smaller screen sizes and resolutions is likely to be relegated to the same place where Win95 now resides.
--Mac
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Yes, as Mac said, there were some conversations about color and appearance. One of my children is colorblind, so I'm always on the lookout for issues that might be harder for others with this condition. Also, we noticed that the Windows font size can cause problems in dialog boxes if you go above the Windows default. The number of combinations of settings that PG Music has to accommodate is very large, yet they respond well to our reports during testing, and continue to improve the program throughout the year.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Excellent inputs from everyone! But...my original question still stands...we are three months since release so when will we get a complete 2014 PDF User Guide?
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I hope you're not ignoring the manual in the help menu. Later, Ray
Asus Q500A i7 Win 10 64 bit 8GB ram 750 HD 15.5" touch screen, BIAB 2017, Casio PX 5s, Xw P1, Center Point Stereo SS V3 and EWI 4000s.
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I hope you're not ignoring the manual in the help menu. Later, Ray Thanks Ray but the PDFs in the Help menu are the same as the ones in the folder, 2013 full and 2014 new features. I guess I don't know if the Help system itself has been updated but I doubt it because if it was they could release the complete 2014 manual.
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It seems to me that BIAB 2013 manual along with the 2014 New Version Features, essentially is a BIAB 2014 manual. None of the basic workings of BIAB are changed and the new features seem to be self-explanatory. Anything else that needs explanation could be answered by some of the experts here on this forum (not me!)! Later, Ray
Asus Q500A i7 Win 10 64 bit 8GB ram 750 HD 15.5" touch screen, BIAB 2017, Casio PX 5s, Xw P1, Center Point Stereo SS V3 and EWI 4000s.
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About the original question, if I recall correctly, PG Music did say a full 2014 manual would be forthcoming. I'm sure as in the past they will announce it when ready.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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The BIAB 2014 PDF manual is part of the new 381 build!
Last edited by Ed J.; 03/14/14 06:41 PM.
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BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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The BIAB 2014 PDF manual is part of the new 381 build! 641 pages. Someones been busy!
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Just to emphasize the point, now no excuse for not reading the manual, although this does bring to mind the new acronym, TMTR ( too much to read )  : 
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The next excuse will be that it isn't on paper, Later,
--Mac
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The next excuse will be that it isn't on paper, Later,
--Mac I would guess that a printed manual will shortly be (or already is) available, now that the PDF manual is here. Back in December, when BIAB2014 was released, I was quoted $10 (over the phone) for a printed manual - once it's available.
Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.
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