Sierra users have been posting that in the BeatBuddy Manager (BBM) File menu, the Synchronize Project is grayed out. Apple and BBM developers are aware of the issue. Conventional user wisdom has been to just File > Export > Project to SD card and try to live with it. However, these users that are exporting the project to their SD cards also report losing foot switch settings, changes made to a song’s (tempo) on the pedal are not retained, along with other settings not being retained.
The workaround to the grayed out Synchronize Project menu issue is to restart your Mac, open the BBM and File > Export > Project to SD card (with your card in the computer). Depending on the number of folders, songs and drum kits, this could take a while. Once the export process completes, check your BBM menu. Is the Synchronize Project active or still grayed out? If still grayed out, quit, reopen the BBM and go thru the export process until the menu item is no longer grayed out (it takes me one to two times of exporting to “reactivate” the Synchronize Project menu entry).
This will continue to work as long as you don’t quit the BBM and/or restart your Mac. Yes, this workaround is a pain but probably slightly less so than restoring your settings one-by-one every time you export your project to the SD card.
Interesting that not all Sierra folks see this (I don’t). I’m running 10.12.6 and BB 1.6.4.1
Any tell tale indicators of who is likely to run into issues (and therefore how to avoid it).
You’re right, it does not seem to affect everybody. For me, it started sporadically appearing in 10.12.3 and I don’t think there was any particular indicator. My guess is that Apple began hardening SIP (System Integrity Protection) in Sierra. Depending on how a user locks down their Mac security may drive whether this symptom appears or not. In my case, I use Avast AV software and other security nanny software. I’ve tried most of the workarounds that I found in the Apple Discussion Forum but none of them work consistently. I’m testing High Sierra beta now and I have not been able to use my workaround—it stops short so that the only choice I have is to use BBM to export the project to my SD card. I can log in under my test account and Sync will work but when I do that, I give up the convenience of using all my apps and utilities that I depend on (DragThing, Default Folder, Little Snitch, Hazel, Avast, and etc). If the symptoms start appearing on your Mac, I’d try disabling all of the software that loads at startup until you find the culprit). The other thing might be to continue using the OS that’s presently working for you. Long haul for a short slide “not much of an answer.”
As always I (and we) appreciate the time you take to give us a window into what is clearly the hours you’ve taken to gain well earned expertise. Like a graduate education for me in small easily digestible doses…using small words
This will continue to work as long as you don’t quit the BBM and/or restart your Mac. Yes, this workaround is a pain but probably slightly less so than restoring your settings one-by-one every time you export your project to the SD card.
Maybe I’m overreacting, but the idea that you can’t use “sync” without an extreme workaround is bothersome. I love the pedal and I am truly grateful for the thoughtful software (BBM), but I fully expected to be able to sync the work done in BBM to the pedal with ease.
I do understand that some things are out of the independent software developer’s control (Hello Apple!), but SO many users of music software are Mac users. I just want it to work. I’m probably overly tired and cranky. I’ll get over it.
As a Sierra and High Sierra, I feel your pain. This is not an issue entirely of Singular Sound’s doing as the source can be traced to Apple’s integration of SIP (“security stuff”) within the OS. The BBM developers are aware of the issue. The existing version has stretched the code about as far as developers can take it and with every update come more and more bugs. A new version is being developed from the ground up and it’s taking time. Appreciate your patience and meanwhile, if any users have a better and more practical workaround, would love to hear from you.
This is just so frustrating right now. I tried to run BBmanager on a Dell XPS-13 and it won’t render properly. The number in front of BPM at the top doesn’t show, so I can’t set tempo. Contacted tech support and they tell me to change the native resolution on the laptop. Not only did this not work but it made everything else I do look ridiculous. So I went to my Mac because I have a 32" screen. Software runs but can’t sync. I drag out an old Windows laptop with a 17" screen and the program runs but the computer doesn’t seem to have the processing power to play the samples properly. Everything sounds like it’s under water. They’ve been talking about a new version since Christmas, I’m losing hope.
The stuff I use is pretty generic, country, blues and shuffle, mostly with the standard drum set. Could you explain playing songs with bass? i have no idea how to do that.
I’m also having the syncing problem with High Sierrra (10.3). If it’s security-related, will turning off Apple’s FileVault help? I’m trying this currently, but it will take several hours to decrypt my hard drive.
BBmanager on bootcamp windows 10 on touchbar MacBook Pro syncs perfectly. No pedal settings are lost, either. Pedal is connected directly, I don’t have a card reader slot.
This is poor. Honestly everyone has been so gracious about there disappointment with this! Please fix this if you want to be taken seriously as a developer.
