I can't switch to the Mac version of BIAB 2009.5 (now 7), unless I can get it working with a half-way decent software synth, for times and places when a hardware synth isn't handy. Since there's no Forte for Mac, I'm using Bandstand with BIAB 2009.7, and overall it works well, per the information on PG's web site (use OS X Core midi and the BIAB Virtual Output to talk to Bandstand running as a standalone application.) The big exception is: Bandstand's Brush Drum set. I can select it via BIAB from the 8 or 9 drum sets Bandstand has available, but it sounds horrible: strangely metallic, like someone is playing the lid of a garbage can. In comparison, even the built-in Apple DSL brush sounds are much more believable. Is this something I'm going to have to live with? (I can't.) Am I overlooking some issue here? (I would guess Bandstand's brush sounds follow the normal GM patch numbers.) Or is there another software synth out there that will sound reasonably good and work with the Mac version of BIAB?

One more question: a lot of the Bandstand sounds are OK, but in addition to the brushes issue, some are weak, and there is only one GM sound bank. If I want to use Bandstand on several MIDI channels, but another software or hardware synth (Garritan?) on other MIDI channels simultaneously, will BIAB 2009.7 for Mac let me do that? (I seem to recall I couldn't do that with the Windows version of BIAB, which always seemed strange.)