Virtual Instruments, Mac OS X and BIAB

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Feb 2005 1:24 pm

I'm confused.

The Mac is obviously capable of producing great instrument sounds. If I import MIDI into GarageBand the instruments sound just gorgeous. But I can't seem to access those sounds in Band in A Box.

BIAB gives me a choice between Quicktime and CoreMIDI, and neither of them hold a candle to the instruments in Garage Band. I don't think I should have to go to an external synth.

I see magazine ads for virtual instrument libraries. They offer compatibility with "VST, "AU (Audio Units)" and "RTAS". Can these be installed into coreMIDI, so that BIAB can use them? Is there any way to access the GarageBand instruments from BIAB?

I've promised to provide the BIAB for an upcoming steel jam. It would be nice if I could get it to sound good. Any advice would be appreciated.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra SD-12 (Ext E9), Williams D-12 Crossover, Sierra S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, C6, A6)

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 12 Feb 2005 4:48 pm

b0b, I've never used a Mac, but I copied this from a post on the Band in a Box forum. If it does not help let me know and I'll check a little further.
posted 02-02-2004 02:25 PM
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There is a freeware program called Dent du Midi which allows you to directly import midi files into Apple's new GarageBand application. It can be downloaded at

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Feb 2005 6:52 pm

Yes, I use that program to move BIAB files into GarageBand. The problem is that, for a jam, I need to run BIAB so that I can set the key, number of choruses, etc. The sounds I'm getting aren't very good. I need to connect the good sounding virtual instruments to BIAB somehow.

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 12 Feb 2005 7:01 pm

I was afraid that's what you meant. With the pc version you can use DXi instruments. I'll ask James Chandler, One of the programmers, but I'm not too hopeful.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 12 Feb 2005 10:11 pm

Bobby check these
http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?id=3220&ftu=9815610f09

Mark Sonnabaum · Post by **Mark Sonnabaum** » 12 Feb 2005 10:42 pm

I dont think BIAB supports any of those plug-in formats. Garage band sounds good because its using a sample library that was installed with the program. Its simply using midi to interface with that sample library. BIAB uses either coreMIDI or quicktime MIDI, both of which sound horrible. I havent used BIAB much but if you can set the output midi channel instead of using core MIDI then you'll be able to do it. You'll need a program like V-stack (a steinberg product) which simply hosts VST and VSTi's. You can load all the virtual instruments and then set what input channel they are using and make sure they match with what BIAB is outputing. I use this technique when writing in Finale . I set Finale's MIDI outputs to a VSTi host thats running an orchestra sample library.

I'm pretty sure you cant access the garage band instruments from BIAB. Its a sampler just like Kontakt or Gigastudio but the format is proprietary so you wouldnt be able to access it.

Mark

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 13 Feb 2005 12:25 am

Biab for Mac is a few years behind Biab for PC. I asked James, a programmer for PGMusic, he says that mac takes so much longer to program it probably will never catch up. He did say there will be an update this year, of course that does not help you now. Sorry.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 13 Feb 2005 2:22 am

Well it really is not that the MAC programming is more difficult.
They just don't put the same number of programmers on the project.

It is still just Berklee Unix C++ programming

You put 30 guys on Win XP development and 5 on the porting to Mac, and yeah it will be slower[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 13 February 2005 at 02:24 AM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 13 Feb 2005 8:46 am

A plugin host - that sounds like it might do trick, Mark!

I've had bad experiences with Steinberger, so I'll steel clear of v-Stack. I'm looking at Rax, an AudioUnits host that costs $30. It looks pretty good. What do you think?

Is there any funtional difference between AU and VST, or are they just different plugin formats? What is VSTi?

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra SD-12 (Ext E9), Williams D-12 Crossover, Sierra S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, C6, A6)

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 13 Feb 2005 1:42 pm

RAX seems iteresting, but I haven';'t had time to test it yet.

REason has been around awhile, and Propeller head is well thought of in the pro game.
http://www.macmusic.org/softs/view.php/lang/EN/id/30/

Mark Sonnabaum · Post by **Mark Sonnabaum** » 16 Feb 2005 7:05 am

There isnt any functional difference between AU and VST. VST is the steinberg standard and AU (audio units) is apple's. Basically Nuendo and Cubase use VST's and Logic and Digital Performer use AU's. A VSTi is a VST instrument and AU instruments are basically the same thing. Most really common virtual instruments will come in both formats but I would say that VSTi's are more popular. MDA makes a pretty cool free piano and rhodes VSTi.

Mark

Bob Martin · Post by **Bob Martin** » 24 Nov 2005 10:04 pm

I know this thread is pretty old but I just wanted everyone to know that biab 2k5 will allow for virtual synths ie dxi plugins so that being said there are now 100's of virtual synths for biab that will work with Macs and sound as good as and even better than garage band. Try Coyote forte dxi synth it is one of the entry lever dxi plugin synth and it is cheap 40.00. It is not the best one out there but it's head above the built in midi options in biab.

Bob