There are four types of bard performances:
The first is by far the most common, while the last on our list is a unicorn only whispered about in quiet, passing rumors.
Fig 1: The four types of bard performances.
By far, most bards play solo, but occasionally bards play together as ensembles with anywhere between two and eight band members. Many of them run multiple characters all on one computer, often called “Multi-Boxing”, but some bands are run by multiple people playing together across great distances, using the in-game “ensemble mode” feature to sync together.
Macro players require the use of special software to convert music files (usually .mid) into key-presses in the game. Freehand players also may use software, usually to play via a midi keyboard plugged into their computer, although some opt out of using software and use their regular typing keyboard or a game controller.
In addition to the software required to control key-pressing in the game, there is other software to handle things like midi editing, multi-boxing, framerate reduction, or other performance-related features.
These are all the software packages that help you press the buttons in-game. Many people have loyalties or biases towards one program or the other, but it’s not my job to tell you which is better, and in fact, which of these tools works best for you depends entirely on what you do the most.
I still need to play around more with some of these to write a properly un-biased overview of each of these programs. In addition, nearly all of these programs are actively in development. These summaries and pro/con lists are subject to change. Feel free to let me know if you think I’m mistaken or unfair about a particular program, or if a favorite of yours is missing entirely.
- Mevari Navalo
BMP is the most common tool among bards, especially soloists. It’s also somewhat of a trendsetter, with the “BMP midi format” being used in several other programs as well. However, its current lack of an ensemble mode auto-start (which tells everyone in a band to play as soon as ensemble mode starts) means that sync can be an issue in BMP compared to other software when playing with other band members. In addition, playing with your friends rather than multi-boxing can be difficult and finicky, but technically possible. BMP works perfectly for soloists, but for ensembles there are currently much better options.
A version 2.0 is being worked on for BMP that contains several upgrades, including ensemble related features from MogMusic. It is now in open beta, with some bugs still being squashed, but development is progressing. BMP 1.4 still works fine for soloists, but for ensemble players, you will want to either switch to BMP 2.0 or use another program.
You can download BMP here: https://bardmusicplayer.com/
You can download the beta of 2.0 from the Discord: https://discord.gg/bmp
MidiBard 2 is a Dalamud plugin, which means that you have to launch your game with FFXIVLauncher for it to work. Since it’s a plugin, it will open up as a window in your FFXIV game, rather than as a separate program like BMP or MogMusic. This can make MidiBard 2 extremely convenient, as it’s always loaded and ready for you the moment you pull out your instrument.
MidiBard 2 supports the BMP midi format as well as .mmsong files, which means you can play all the songs BMP and MogMusic can play. Additionally, it also has a few other customization features, such as automatically trying to adjust notes that are out of your octave range or selecting multiple tracks to play. It’s also the only program that allows typing in chat while playing, which lets you engage with your audience even mid-performance.
Unlike MogMusic, MidiBard 2 does zero automated, behind-the-scenes communication between band members. Band members will need to share their music files with each other ahead of performances and set up their playlists so that they all match. In addition, some band coordination things like switching to a certain song in the playlist requires commands in party chat, while others, like picking who plays what track, requires actually talking with your members and having them set it up themselves.
This makes playing together more of a team effort, which some people actually enjoy. It’s overall not a huge hassle for multi-box ensembles, though, and it’s a convenient choice for soloists who already use FFXIVLauncher.