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Originally Posted By: SFG
I'd like to know exactly what still needs to be worked on / added until there is no difference in functionality?
There is no list or 'platform features' comparison diagram available (despite frequently requested in that ill-named "Wishlist" forum!), so I can only give you an "off the top of my head" kind of answer:

1. There's no Conductor interface (has been on WinSux for years).
2. There's no "Soundtrack" feature (on WinSux since 2007!).
3. There's no RealBand (and according to Master Gannon himself, never will be!).
4. There's no Vocal Harmonisation (has been on WinSux since 2014).
5. There's no Piano Roll (not sure when they got that on WinSux, I honestly stopped reading & watching any more of the features listing since 2011, it was just too disheartening!).
6. Saw this in facebook: "Fretlight" version still being requested for Mac by someone, for at least the last two years.
7. Multiple GUI and interface issues that stem (according to forum speculations) primarily from the program being a port rather than using the optimal Mac-verse tools for the job, e.g. Pascal being rumoured as the current programming tool still, and no Apple SDK tools being used at all. This is why the program never "feels" (nor indeed looks!) like a Mac application.

The "good news" in relation to your full question is that, there's no differences in functionality between the various packages, just a matter of different amount of contents in each. So for instance, the MegaPak and the EverthingPak can do exactly the same things and have exactly the same features, only one has more things to work with (more RT's or styles etc) than the other. And this has held true on our Mac front as well.

Last edited by Icelander; 12/05/16 05:03 AM.

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I think what will save it is ReWire, this will be implemented soon, that will mean you basically operate from your 64bit DAW using BBMac to create the tracks on the fly, just like how RealBand works in Win, it uses an app in it's folder bbw2.exe that runs invisible in the background, it is just basically the biab app.
RealBand calls on bbw2.exe to generate up the tracks for RealBand.
Having ReWire this will let BBMac play along with your DAW start/stop/pause/continue/loop. This way your are not putting all the load onto 32bit BBMac. Win has RealBand but it has nothing on a good 64bit DAW.
I think BB would have to be the ReWire master as it don't start play instantly.

Then you can do MultiRiffs
http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=378682


You can load the Exported Chord Sheet video in the DAW or when they implement the drag n drop midi BB Chord Output midi file with chord markers in it this will give your DAW a Chord track and any tempo map before dragging in the audio RTs RDs.

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Originally Posted By: Pipeline
I think what will save it is ReWire, this will be implemented soon
There's a lot of certainty in this statement. Know something we don't?
Originally Posted By: Pipeline
You can load the Exported Chord Sheet video in the DAW or when they implement the drag n drop midi BB Chord Output midi file with chord markers in it...
You mean "IF they implement"...or, again, know something we don't?


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http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=377577#Post377577

Hopefully they should implement chord markers with the BB Chord Output!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted By: Pipeline
http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=377577#Post377577
Hopefully they should implement chord markers with the BB Chord Output.
Interesting thread there...but I'm not seeing anything definitive from PG Music in there, and nothing about Mac (any mention of Mac came from another mac user and yourself).
So you'll pardon if I remain sceptic, for a bit longer at least ;/


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I think it will be like the vst sync, once that was implemented in Win 5mins later so to speak the structure was in Mac.

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I know one thing Mac got before Win was Sforzando integrated at the time of the vst support update.

I've tried getting 64bit no one more so than me, but I think it's just too big an undertaking at the moment for PG, but who knows it could be in development as we complain.

More on ReWire http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=378926#Post378926

Using ReWire with Biab will be like a Biab vst, until we get one of them.

I do a lot of bit#hing but gotta love it and stick with it as nothing else out there is comparable. The 2017 version has 100 more extra RTs than last year (202).
Let's hope the MacBB release date gets close each year, and the same features.

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Originally Posted By: Pipeline
I know one thing Mac got before Win was Sforzando integrated at the time of the vst support update.
Yes, I was surprised to see that listed on the front page as one of the "new for 2017" things just now. But you know how it is with any minority group, we are predisposed towards the "always the short end of the stick". That's just the nature of things smirk
Originally Posted By: Pipeline
Using ReWire with Biab will be like a Biab vst, until we get one of them.
Apropos ReWire, I've just got "Jack" but yet to actually try using it. Just how is this thing favourable to something like "Jack"?
Originally Posted By: Pipeline
I do a lot of bit#hing but gotta love it and stick with it as nothing else out there is comparable.
Oh, absolutely! Our critical thinking (absolutely essential mentality when we work in the beta department, as we both have) shouldn't be taken for (or confused with) mere blinded negativity. If anything, quite the reverse. We want nothing but the best for this wonderful tool that has given us so much, and can potentially give us so much more. So we push, we nudge, nag & 'bit#h', all in order to keep things moving forward.
Originally Posted By: Pipeline
Let's hope the MacBB release date gets close each year, and the same features.
I think there may be a word missing from this sentence, but I'll drink to that sentiment - Cheers! cool


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Hi,

I am new here. I've been reading info regarding BIAB 2016 for Mac. I am using Mac Pro (64bit) as my main computer for music applications (Digital Performer, Reason, Peak). I've been wanting to use BIAB to save time laying down rough and quick basic "real tracks" for RY section for my originals then import these BIAB "real-band" audio tracks into my digital performer so I can work on my brass & string sections later. So I have two questions:

1) Is it possible to do what I described above?
2) For a more advance level, take a jazz dramatic ballad that requires complex conducting tempo or odd meters for an example, can BIAB (with real tracks/real band audio tracks) be synchronized/(slaved to) with Digital Performer (master)?

I was told by a PG sale rep that if I order BIAB Everything PAK now, PG will put the order on hold and will ship the BIAB 2017 for MAC. Can you tell me how soon will the Mac version 2017 be released and ready to ship?

Thanks,

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1. Absolutely possible, and it's a very common way of utilising Band-in-a-Box.

2. While you can set BBox to quite complex time sig and vary the tempo (per bar) and it can sync out, it does not sync IN. You'd be better advised to render the BBox tracks to audio and bring them into your designated DAW, where you can snap and stretch them at will.

So in essence, you can get to the desired end result in both questions, the second just takes a bit of a 'detour' to get there.

Version 2017 is in beta testing phase as this is written, so later this month it should be out in full (unless of course testing discovers something very, very unexpected). So it won't be long now smile


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Great! I can't wait to get my hands on the full version 2017 for Mac. Thanks, Icelander.

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My pleasure. The more Mac users of BBox, the better cool


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