My thoughts:
  • I very much like the idea of a "How Do I...?" forum. It could start off with a sticky or three aiming people toward the Tutorials and Videos, and maybe every month or three we could combine and organize the best questions and answers into a new Forum FAQ (Read This First), or perhaps FAQs by general subject.
  • I also like Help A Song. I suspect subject lines should start with a very broad keyword, e.g., Songwriting, Mixing, Mastering. I do agree that the "songwriting" aspect should not be collaboration; the entire thing should be based on Technique, and maybe that's the heading to use for the forum.
  • I'm good with a Yard Sale forum or somesuch, for people wanting to get rid of old gear to a good home, as long as it is explicitly clear that PG Music is only putting up the electronic whiteboard and has nothing whatsoever to do with the gear, the transaction, or the after-effects. (Cue Wash in Firefly: "Curse your sudden yet inevitable betrayal!")
  • An Add-on forum would be fantastic. Notes Norton needs someone to keep him on his toes.
  • Dunno if a new Style forum is necessary; maybe the User Showcase could become something like "User Showcase: Files and Styles".
  • GIVE DON HIS JOKE FORUM NOW PLEASE I WILL HAS AN ENORMOUS SAD IF THE CHICKEN DOES NOT DANCE
  • A "New Gear Reviews" forum would also be great, encompassing both hardware and software.
  • I think the Styles Wishlist should be incorporated into the general BIAB Wishlist, just for convenience. If we have a few right at the beginning with the subject line (e.g.) "STYLE REQUEST: Classical Strings", with elaboration in the body, I think the format will catch on quick.
  • I very much DISLIKE the notion of a Users Only forum. One of the unique strengths of BIAB is this community. We help with pre-sales, we ease people in, we make 'em feel welcome. Having to register your product to get to a special forum defeats the entire purpose, I think.
Whew! Didn't expect to go on so long. My 49 cents, I guess.

Best,
Tom Smith
Win10/64 • i7-8700K • 24 GB RAM
BIAB 2024 • Reaper 7 • Izotope MPS
AKG C1000S • IK iRig I/O Pro