What are my options for using real tracks for a song in 5/4.

I couldn't find anything in the video tutorials.

Is it possible?

Thanks in advance for any responses

First of all, BIAB doesn't support 5/4 time and there aren't any 5/4 RealTracks. BIAB does have some 5/4 MIDI styles, but understand that they are implemented by dividing a 4/4 bar into 5 pieces. So it sounds like 5/4, but your notation will still be in 4/4 and will look pretty weird.

I suspect the only thing you might could do is to choose an appropriate 4/4 RealTrack and then alternate bars by setting the bars as 3 beats followed by 2 beats (to represent one 5/4 bar across two bars 3+2), or 2+3. Don't know what it will sound like; it may be choppy, but that's the only think I could think of. And forget about any coherent notation.

As John said.

If the song is Take Five, then the pattern is 3 beats followed by 2, repeating this. If it’s a different song, it might break down as 3-2, 2-3, 4-1 etc.

I see, after playing around for a bit I should be able to make do with the midi tracks for these I think.

Some have real drum tracks at least.

Thanks for your help!

Just FYI, using Realband instead makes odd time signatures behave closer to what I expect. At least for me.

RB handles these odd time signatures much differently than BiaB.
Instead of making an odd time signature lay over a familiar 3/4 or 4/4 time signature/tempo combination, it actually implements the odd time as expected.
One of the many reasons I prefer RB over BiaB.

Dug up an example, a song created using 7/4 time signature in RB
Drums, bass, keyboard and rhythm guitar were all generated in RB (odd time), and the other tracks are real musicians (all members of this forum).
http://masteringmatters.com/stuff2/Count_Me_Out.mp3

I realized, that BB does NOT mean Band In A Box OR Band In the Box - In means "Barely Basic" - Sorry, but - I returned this product 4 years ago due to the lack of integrating multiple time signatures in a single song ... 10,000 Reasons is a perfect example - Everlasting God, is another perfect example. I can understand maybe the reasoning, but, it just isn't sitting well with me, unfortunately.

Hi 88Keys

If you returned it 4 years ago, could you share with me why you're now not happy with it?

I integrate multiple time signatures into many of my songs.

Band In A Box makes no statement that I know of that it can do everything. But what it does, it does very well.

Instead of criticizing without explanation, why don't you explain exactly why Band In A Box cannot be used to create the song "10,000 Reasons" or "Everlasting God"? Perhaps it could, but I would invite you to discuss exactly what the problems are.

Maybe the issue isn't the program itself but something else?

Looking forward to your clarifications. Thanks.

Hi 8T8KEEZ,

I've just looked up the music to 10,000 reasons and I see that it is essentially 4/4 with the occasional bar of 2/4.

I'm not sure why you've had problems with this this time signature change in the past. It's one that I have used many, many times over the years. I've also have songs that change between 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4 without problem. I run BIAB for Windows.

If you have a look at the below video of mine on Vimeo, it shows BIAB playing the chord sheet of one of my songs from 3 or 4 years ago. As can be seen when watching the playback for this 4/4 time song, bars 13, 22 and 40 are all 2/4 and BIAB handles the time change fine.

https://vimeo.com/143978481

Regards,
Noel

VT, time signatures other than 2/4, 4/4 and 3/4 do not export to a DAW correctly. If you work only in RB there is no problem but if you export to a DAW the export is always 4/4. That makes it a real PITA in a DAW.

I think that it is time for BiaB to catch up with the rest of the world in time signatures. YMMV