Our company consists of multiple team members on multiple teams each with different priorities that best match their skill sets. We can, and should, work on multiple things concurrently as a company. There’s a hardware team, multiple software teams, a marketing team and a leadership team. I think you can agree (especially having run your own software company for 30 years) that to have all of our staff work on one project, rather than multiple, would be shortsighted and not in the long term interests of our company.
We do have a design plan and a timeline for executing on this project. We are keeping the information close to our chest because in the past, when we’ve shared information about the plan and then it hasn’t come to fruition, it’s (understandably) resulted in situations like this. Where people feel jaded and misled when the reality is that nothing ever truly goes according to plan.
We care about the BeatBuddy user base greatly, from the power users to those who’ve never even bothered to use the additional software. For those who don’t use the added software (the majority of the user base) the BeatBuddy offers an overwhelmingly positive experience. Despite this, we still have spent a significant amount of time and money on working towards a more exceptional experience for the power users.
You can see our dedication in the work on the BeatBuddy Loader (new version coming soon) and BeatBuddy firmware updates (4.1.3 just launched last week). While these are not the same projects as the BeatBuddy Manager, we hope that at the very least they can show you our continued commitment to the BeatBuddy user base as a whole over the 9 years it’s been on the market.
So to return to the original question of the thread, we no longer plan to update the original Beatbuddy Manager. Instead, work has begun on a replacement BeatBuddy Manager which we will share more detailed news about in the future.
Thank you all for your feedback. We take everyone’s comments seriously and take it to heart.
Despite having ‘multiple software teams’ there is still not a version of BBM that can install cleanly in accordance with current security requirements for a Mac. And yet many thousands of one man band developers keep their apps up to date in the Apple App Store without the luxury of ‘multiple teams’.
And as for refusing to divulge your plans in case people get upset when you fail, you are too late with that one. Many many BB users are well past upset.
Sorry @DavidPackouz , but I just don’t believe you. Please prove me wrong and will humbly apologise.
Knowing for years now, BB users devise and share their own creative homegrown solutions by integrating the use of DAW/MIDI editors and other tools, can you share if singular has taken these workflow ideas into account, and will they be incorporated into the new BB manager? Will the new version lessen the need to jump around to different apps, thereby supporting a more integrated workflow in the manager?
I’m going to assume you are aware some users like me are not as motivated to spend hours to learn how to jump between other tools; sitting on the sideline’s hopeful the next bb manager will do it all. Already stated in this thread, “there is no perfect software solution”, and Brennan’s Apr 21st post, suggests the new manager will make MIDI and song editing more intuitive. And your intentions are noted in your Feb 21 response.
Can you share anything about the feature set for the next BB Manager, without comprising your concerns for failing to meet our expectations?
Personally, I’ve lessened my expectations for singular to deliver the manager in a timely fashion compared to other products I have. And for reasons you explained initially; you’re not a big company, and there have been some hiccups along the way, etc. I’m still hanging in here however, hoping for a more simplified workflow approach in the manager. But at some point, I will need to make the time to learn the current methods at the cost of personal time. I’m grateful for the BB community for their work and what they have shared but hope singular has learned and incorporated these ideas into the next version.
Question is, how long will it take. Delivering ‘something’, ‘sometime’ doesn’t really count does it? I am astonished at your determination to withhold even the smallest hint of what you have actually done and what is coming. Utter disrespect for the BB user base.
The Song Builder is a fast way to create a complex song arrangement in Jamstix. Never before
has it been so easy to get a complete drum track with verse, chorus, bridge etc. (even drum
solos!) in just a few seconds.
Here is how it works: Jamstix wants you to specify the sequence of the parts of your song by
chaining letters together:
I=Intro
V=Verse
P=Pre-Chorus
C=Chorus
B=Bridge
E=Ending
D=Drum Solo
S=Solo (other instrument)
M=Middle 8
Q=Silence
X=Breakdown
L=Link
For example, you may enter IVVCVVCBCCE as you song. Now select the desired style,
drummer and kit and specify the length of your verse and chorus (non-repeat length). That’s
it. Click ‘Create Song’ and Jamstix will build the parts based on your input. It will choose
lengths and repetitions for parts other than verse and chorus that are most likely appropriate.
It will also adjust drummer settings to match the character of the part (i.e. Power hand for
chorus).
f you would like to use a single MIDI pattern that you have saved on your hard-drive from
another product, you can use these simple steps to create a custom song from that one single
pattern in seconds, complete with fills, proper part characters and so forth:
• load ‘Import’ style
• load your MIDI pattern (or JS1/2/3 groove file) of choice
• use’ Save Style Preset’ in the brain menu and give it a brief descriptive
name
• click ‘Wizard’, select ‘Import’ as the style and you will see your saved
preset in the list
• select all other options as desired and click ‘Create Song’.
gives you this kind of power to develop
complex song structures in seconds from any compatible MIDI pattern file.
I don’t care about autopilot. I just want a bug free version of the last beta. Tempo set…copy paste…folder naming…etc. What is the latest, least buggy beta version?
“Least buggy”. There is your challenge. The software is intrinsically flawed by bad design and poor coding. Which is why I keep banging on about getting a new (not updated) version but it just keeps falling on deaf ears with endless patronising platitudes from @DavidPackouz
Meanwhile SS keeping investing in and building shiny new toys to take more money from new users whilst leaving their existing buyers in the dust.
I don’t know if you were here back when there were constant updates and beta versions being released…during the old forum…but it was the most creative, upbeat and inspiring thing i have ever experienced on a forum. We spoke … and it happened. Slowly it tapered off and became the stagnant situation we presently have. New products were pushed into the sunlight and the BB slunk into the shadows. This is the flagship of SS. The wind no longer fills its sails. Many BB users are not, and will never be loopers. You can find dozens of loopers for sale. Only one drum pedal like the Beatbuddy. Strange decision to abandon it to build a better mouse trap.
Hi @Jim_Jacobson Yes I was there! I was one of the poor suckers that ponied up the cash to buy a BB on the ‘pre-release’ campaign. And to be fair, at first I loved it. Their was a thriving community as you say, and it felt like SS were really working to make it work for us, Then ‘something’ happened and SS seemed to fall out of love with BB and the users that funded their success. And it became apparent that the software was a bag of nails. Instead of fixing the BB issues @DavidPackouz seems to have turned his back on BB users and sailed off into the distance with his shiny new toys.
I as well could care less about ‘auto pilot’. Just want a BBM that’s more intuitive to use and has features that make it easier to manage MIDI data. I keep thinking an interface similar to EZDrummer would be close to perfect. Easy selection of drum kits, drag and drop MIDI files to tracks, easy to use grid editor, etc.
Totally agree. SS are just using the autopilot thing as a smoke screen to obscure the real issue that BB Manager is terrible. For @DavidPackouz to post a response along the lines of ‘well autopilot was never in the design’ as just a sleight of hand. He needs to accept that the BB users are not stupid and won’t fall for his dodge. We want and deserve software for the device we purchased that is reliable, secure, installs cleanly and functions correctly.
I’m with you all on the AutoPilot feature. It is not something I don’t think I would use. I would love to see a fully featured BBM as a complete suite. I should not have to use other programs to get the thing to work when, if the effort was put in the BBM, it could do it for you. I am efficient in using Cubase so I use this to compile my MIDI (I use drum and bass tracks in a custom kit). I know how to program it for the BB so 8/10 times I can import it (using the old BBM) and it will run as I want it to straight away. If I need to make a few slight adjustments, once again I have to go back to Cubase, make the changes, export the MIDI, import it again into the BBM and check it again. In the existing BBM I can make small changes using the editor without having to go back to Cubase. With the new BB Loader, this is not possible. I would have to completely go between Cubase and the loader to make modifications. What a head fuck.
The BBM should be complete with standard editing features (at least a cut,copy and paste). I’m disappointed that SS don’t seem to be keen to put in the editor anymore with the new Loader. The BB is an outstanding product but the supporting software is horrendously bad.
Well @DavidPackouz almost a month on and no sign of any evidence relating to the plan or any progress with the BB software. Seems an apology won’t be need then. Pity really, I would be happy to have been proved wrong. But it seems you really don’t give a damn about BB or it’s users.
Just to add to the arrogance here : I just got a promotional SMS from singular sound that ended with the phrase “The updates will always keep coming”. Yes, yes, it’s coming. We know. (insert image of skeleton in a dusty waiting room)
