trident, to use Bandstand you can setup all your CC# stuff in your midi or style files. I think you can do the same thing by sending it SysEx messages. When it comes to effects, volumes, levels, etc. Bandstand is GM, GM2, GS and XG compatible.

So with a little work you can get Bandstand to sound pretty good. Oh, and you need to make sure that all the drum channels are merged to Channel 10. In addition, that you select the appropriate drum instruments within each kit. I used M. Bedesem's MidiPlayer II for this.....fast and easy.

I would hazard a guess that in 3 or 4 months Bandstand will have no competion. If on top of everything they allow you to use any other instruments, SGM180, GM500, kontakt, etc. then it becomes a very simple useful sample player. I would still like to have kontakt around for tweaking samples and performing the very high qaulity stuff.