This was posted yesterday on PGMusic.com.
We’re looking for current users of Band-in-a-Box 2007 to help us test some of our latest features. In order to qualify as a beta tester, you must be:
- A current user of Band-in-a-Box 2007 For Windows.
Seems the Macintosh version will languish another year without an update (yet again). Wonder what is going to be in the new version. Last year, they introduced RealDrums into the program. This year? I don’t know, but lets speculate a little.
- Switch RealDrum styles in songs. This addition seems a no brainer. Currently, if you choose a Bossa Nova with a RealDrum style, you can’t change to a different Bossa Nova in the middle of the song.
- RealDrums not tied to a particular style. Another no brainer. I believe a couple of versions ago, you could pick a style, then tell BinaB to play a different bass style instead of the picked styles bass style. It would make sense to have RealDrums follow this.
- Loading of software synth instruments when a song loads. So, if you have Garritan Jazz Band default combo setup with Piano, Bass, guitar, and Drums, but the song you loaded needs an electric piano patch, BinaB will have Kontkat player load that. Sequencers remember the patches for each song, and BinaB will now too (hopefully).
- A splitting out of the instrument settings. What I mean by this is that most of us are using Software Synths like Bandstand or Garritan Jazz now rather than a Midi module. When BinaB came out like, a billzillion years ago, midi modules ruled the landscape. BinaB does not have an effective way to deal with changing “patches” with software synths. A lot of that is inherient with the Software Synths themselves, as they need time to load a new instrument. But, PGMusic could put in the settings of BinaB some sort of option where, if there is a style change and say the guitar becomes nylon instead of steel, then you have to wait a few seconds while the player loads the sound. That can devistate a song when it is playing. If there was an option to define two to perhaps three alternate software synth banks, then that delay would be gone (Kontkat Garritan Jazz lets you have 8 loaded for each instance of the player running. Bandstand allows 16 I believe).
- Interface improvements? Hardly likely, but really needed in the program. I feel like Marty McFly when I run the program. What the program needs is a graphical interface option. Keep the chord entry, but give us something like Garageband where you can graphically move the blocks of the song around.
- More recording features. Editing, cross fades, multiple tracks. More of their PowerTracks functionality added.
- After thinking of the above one, it would make perfect sense to just merge the two programs together. BinaB and Powertracks. Think of it like a mini version of Logic. You get loops (i.e. band in a box songs) where you could laydown your own tracks. Could be a great thing. It would tie in with the interface improvements.
- RealBass and RealPiano and RealGuitar. I don’t see that really happening, but it could.
- Ability to record a mono audio track, and have the program figure out some chords and stuff for it.
- Breaking the 9,999 limit in Open Special->Load By Song Title? I hope?
These are what I can think of at the moment. BinaB is a great tool, and it will be interesting to see what they are going to include in the next version.
