I guess I'm a dummy but I can't figure out how to use the riffs properly.
I load the riff I like and then build the song but BIAB doesn't recognize it as a style even though it shows it as a style. If I save it then go back to it I get the message that there is no style match. Are we not able to use these riffs? I can't imagine they would be there and not be able to use them. Maybe there is a trick to making a style out of them? Any help would be greately appreciated!
As I said above, I'm a dummy so please try to keep it simple for me.
Hayride2
Try using the clipboard in Biab to "copy" the midi parts and see if it will also "paste" them in a new song.
Or,
Make a midi file of the riff and use "load scrap" in Realband to "paste" the riff in your song there. I know that will definitely work.
Go to file-load scrap, then select your midi file of the riff, and then use edit-paste to paste the data into a track in Realband.
Trax
What do you mean by "riff" Debbie? To me a riff is a one or two bar lick played by one instrument. You can't make a style out of that.
Bob
Hi Debbie, maybe you are referring to those 101 Riffs listed in the Practice Window. It's just that -> practicing some riffs to enhance your vocabulary. Not originally intended for creating songs or styles. Yet, of course, via some cut and paste gymnastics you may create songs with such riffs.
Mac,
Here is what I did. I chose a riff I liked, it was two bars, I made it into 4 bars for an intro. This riff had more than one instrument, guitar, drums, bass and I think piano (riff 088 in the guitar catagory). Then I changed the chorus to 1 and told it I wanted 30 measures. After the riff played it continued the same rhythm without the riff to the chord progression I made. I also put the riff in the middle for a turn around, continued the song and then used the riff for the ending. It worked perfectly and sounded great.
The problem is that it is not a style so I couldn't save it unless I just save it as the riff. The obvious problem there would be that you can't use it for any other song. Well, you can, but you wouldn't be able to use it if you were playing live as you would have to rebuild the entire song and you wouldn't have time to do that.
The problem with using the riff in Real Band is finding a style that will match it. I guess I would eventually find one but this seemed to easy I didn't even try it in RB. Seems like a waste of time and effort to put something in a program that can't be used. I just figured I was too stupid to use it!
I hope I have made myself clear so you can tell me if it can be done or not.
Debby
Hello Debby,
If you're referring to the "101 Riffs - ..." files, these are intended to be used for practice and learning, not as styles.
Each of the riffs does use a style (as do all Band-in-a-Box songs), but this just has the bass and drums - the guitar riff itself was recorded onto the Melody track.
It would be possible to convert the song into a style, by saving it as a MIDI file and opening it with the Style Wizard (make sure the guitar part is checked), however it would probably not end up sounding the way you expect because the Style Wizard would be remapping the riff notes.
For your interest, one thing you can do is use 'Melody | Edit Melody Track | Transpose Melody Only' to transpose a range of bars in the melody track.
I still wishlist that those "utility" styles for the riffs, etc. be made available to users easily via the Stylepicker.
They come in handy for teaching assignments, but also every once in a while for production work.
--Mac