Never really needed any fancy midi sounds in BIAB while I had the GM Coyote Forte installed. That does not mean I would not like to use my Kontact or more advanced midi sound tools. It was just too much trouble to get these better non-GM sounds to work in BIAB. Well, at least up until now...

So will I lose my Coyote Forte in the new BIAB 64 or will J-Bridge connect it to the BIAB 64?

And while we are on the topic have any of the new 2019 features in BIAB make the use of non-GM instruments work more easily in BIAB 64?

I still have my money in my pocket, but the new BIAB-VST is calling me.

I read something about future plans to make a 64-bit version of Coyote Forte. Don’t forget that in the meantime you are not losing what you already bought: BIAB 2019 comes with both 32 and 64-bit versions.

Coyote Forte 64 is not released but should be some time in the future.

However, 2019 Band-in-a-Box does include a 64 bit, multi-timbral, midi compatible soft synth player, +++ SynthFont +++ .

SynthFont plays various types of instrument patches like Sforzando, Kontakt, Dimension Pro, SampleTamk and Halion. However, unlike those other players that only play one instrument patch at a time it also resembles HyperCanvas and TTS-1 by loading and playing 16 channels of instrument patches at the same time. SynthFont also automatically loads instrument patches if so directed when a midi file having preassigned instrument patches is loaded.

Looking at that web site link for synthfont.com, I see several different products listed:

Version 2.2.0.0 for SynthFont 2 / Synthfont2x64 (paid versions)

Version 1.730 for SynthFont1 (free version)

Then there is a product Version 3.100 for VSTSynthFont (32 / 64-bit) that is listed as "Not Freeware"
Has a 15 day trial, then a 15 Euro fee for a license. That looks like the one included in the new update here? The new features for 2019 BIAB states.....

We include a 64-bit GM MIDI synth VSTSynthFont64 with default GM soundfonts, allowing you to specify any GM soundfont even larger ones (up to 2 GB).

So, can anyone confirm what is the version supplied by PGmusic? Is there a license or serial number provided, or perhaps not necessary?
Thanks! Jerry

The version I have in BIAB64 is 3.102. PG Music include it as the the free soft synth for the 64-bit BIAB.

To me the Synthfont sounds better than Forte but I still like Forte as well. One thing to understand about BB64 is there is no difference between that and the 32 bit version other than it being 64 bit. The functions are identical. So what does having a 64 bit Biab give you? Seriously, nothing right now.

If you want to use 64 bit plugins in BB32 Jbridge works perfect and costs ten bucks or so. Still, having a 64 bit Biab means you can use those plugs natively so you save the ten bucks and maybe some of those plugs work better natively than they do using Jbridge. People have been using all the big name softsynths with Jbridge for years now and no complaints. The other thing is the PG effects won't work in 64 bit but we're told they will be made 64 bit later on.

Bottom line if you like the Forte and the PG effects just use BB32, you're not losing any functionality.

Bob

Thanks Noel and Bob for the clarification!

I've been using CoolSoft's VirtualMIDISynth for a while as a plugin, can use any
SoundFont. One SoundFont that I think sounds great is called FatBoy.

https://fatboy.site/ if you're interested, should work fine with VSTSynthFont64.
Jerry

Yep I tried the version on the download page of that site where it says VSTSynthFont (3.100) - VST instrument
Can't really hear any great difference between it and the usually free synth that comes with biab, though with this one you can load sounds into it.

I believe that the default configuration of VSTSynthfont actually loads the same soundset that the Coyote WS uses (the Microsoft WavTable), so it makes sense you would not hear a difference. Find and load a new GM soundfont and you will definitely hear the difference.