First off I want to say you guys and gals have written two exceptional programs BIAB and Real Band, unfortunatly, I am not able to use either one on stage to play my sequences and to run my show, they are So Close to being a God send and dream come true programs.

I have a band and use .mid, .kar sequences (mostly click, drum fills and bass lines) as the foundation of the show also runs lights, effects etc..


I could use Real Band if it were not for the following reasons:


1. There is no lyric document window in Real Band.

I need an info window, just like the lyric document window in BIAB, to pop up in my external monitor when I load and play a .mid or .kar file, it needs to be draggable to a different monitor and stay there so each time a sequence is played it will show the text data in the info header of the .mid file,

I currently use a midi juke box player that comes with cakewalk 2002 it plays .mid files and displays the text data that you paste into the info section of the sequence, (this is where I display chords, lyrics, and patch data on my sequences.) on a size adjustable window that stays set on a seperate monitor. Problem with this is it can't play .kar so i use another program to play .kar's


2. BIAB and Real Band can not upon first playing a sequence; first send "song specific sysex data" (setup for midi modules, lights, vocal effects, pyro arm, etc.) then start the sequence.

I currently use a free .kar + .mid player called; vanbasco's midi player, it does this and allows you to set a delay in milli-seconds, so when you start the sequence it will first send out the sysex data in the beginning of the song, then wait a preset time to allow for modules to be set up for that song... and then play the sequence. problem with this is, it does not have the text info screen.


3. Real Band reinitializes itself? (takes too long) when starting sequences from windows file explorer.
I need to use file explorer to group my sequences into different sets to run the show

If BIAB and Real Band had (multiple window, completely size adjustable window, draggable window), jukebox file player windows so you could group songs into different sets to play that would fix the need to start sequences from windows explorer.



I could use BIAB if not for the following reasons:


1. BIAB will not properly play sequences with drum note duration values less than 0.

2. BIAB will not send song specific sysex data before starting song


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To summerize here is the ultimate patch/addon list


1. Add the Lyric Document Window module from BIAB to Real Band.

It would be nice if it could have an option to read the text info from the info header in a .mid or .kar file and save it when you save .mid and .kar file, but as long as you can scale and drag the window and use different font size and color just like the Lyric Document Window in BIAB that would be great.
It would also be nice if the window remembered it's place and size on the external monitor even if the next song loaded did not have lyric document data. So then when you do load a song with lyric document data you would not have to drag and resize the window to the external monitor everytime after loading a song with no data.


2. Add the ability to send "(song specific) sysex data" contained in the beginning of a .mid or .kar sequence, "before" starting the sequence or song.
A time settable delay after sending sysex data and before starting song would be awsome. This will allow you to set the time necessary for you hardware to properly receive sysex data and respond properly before sending song note data. i.e www.vanBasco.com


3. Allow Real Band to start songs "instantly, with no delay" from windows explorer by file association (without reinitializing program, no delay), OR
Add to Real Band and BIAB a multiple juke box song launch windows that are scalable and draggable to external monitors, so you can organize and start songs instantly. This will allow you to create different play sets and groups of songs to launce live.
i.e. set1, set 2, set 3, slow songs, rock songs, country songs, etc...


4. Fix BIAB so it will properly play existing sequences with midi drum note values less than 0, OR
add a converter module that will globally add ( x ) to a range of notes with durations less than ( y ).



One more dreamy thing

A way to filter out "a single drum note of choice" from drum, track / channel10 ( globally or song specific even better ) and then send it to the program ( BIAB, Real Band ) internal metronome clicker with sound card or audio interface audio output to go to the drummer ears .

This would allow sequences with a channel 10 click track note within in the drum track ( essentially 1/4 note on a certain note ) to send a click to a live drummer, without sending it to the midi drum module / virtual drum module. thus playing the annoying click. and also allowing the drummer to punch in the recorded midi drum track during a performance and then go back to live without loosing the click track from the sequence.

Thank you,

I, and so many others will be eternally greatful !

Jeff