just about to buy Bandstand BUT!

I need some straight answers to a couple of questions first if possible please!

i want to be able to download midi files from the net and then play them thru bandstand in cubase. i have read some stuff about not being able to loiad midi files into bandstand..

im personally not too worried about that if its not able to currently load direct into bandstand, because I ALWAYS have a change or two i want to make to a file in cubase before i mix it... so does anyone have an idea if its ok to run files using cubase!

thanks
D

 

You can do that. You can insert BS as a vst instrument right in Cubase, or you can use it stand-alone, and route MIDI from Cubase to BS via a virtual MIDI port. I do both in Sonar.

Just record the output from BS when you are ready.

Beware though. I don't think there will be any more support of BS. The support up to now has been pretty sparse. But, I like it and keep it on the laptop in case my hardware module fails. It will do in a pinch. The sounds are very good for the price you pay.

I've heard you can get it for around $100 now. It's worth that.

 

yeah what i like about this idea is the immediacy.
i have alot of files i want to get thru and if i can just load em into this and get a good sound with minimal tweaking it will be worth it...

but being a bit of a sound freak/perfectionist ill probably end up tweaking them all for ages anyway...!

just a last question? so the sound quality in terms of playing a straight midi file taken from the web (assuming of course the file is reasonably well made etc).. its good yes?

is the brass anyway realistic. i know theres no such thing realistic brass other than the real thing but how close does this come?

man! i wish they had a demo program for bandstand so i could put it thru its paces...!

oh last thing. if i upgraded from kontakt 2 to 3 does kontakt 3 (ior is it 4 now) have a straight GM section...?

cheers
D

 

I think you'd be happy with the sound of BS. I have been using a Roland XV-2020 for a while, and though songs sound different in BS, they still sound good. Some of them sound better in BS. I also use a Yamaha XG synth, and that beats the pants of both the others.

BS has decent horns and guitars, drums, etc. The quality of the MIDI file will probably be more crucial than the sound of BS or another synth. For example, you can play a GM Brass patch that sounds shrill on its own, but when you use it in a mix, it cuts through and sounds great. A good programmer can make a mediocre sound module sound good. A good module can't make a bad MIDI file sound good.

I don't know anything about Kontakt, sorry.

For good sounding MIDI files, without spending a lot on hardware, BS is a great choice. Buy it from a retailer who will let you return it if you don't like it.

Be sure to get the Quickload Set, found in this forum. You need 2gb for it, but it makes BS very usable in a live rig.