Hi,
I use PowerTracks Pro 2011. When I record a MIDI track, all first notes of a given value in any measure appear with unnecessary accidentals (for example, in C, naturals on C, E, G...) I have to click "Edit Note", then "Forced Accidentals / Auto" (instead of "Natural"), which would be quite a chore for a whole song. Sometimes it seems like the program considers that the track is in C minor, but that does not seem like the explanation each time. BTW, in the list of keys where you can change one, I see no minor key.... Thanks in advance for the help.
Tom Goldschmidt

Hi Tom,

First thing to look at is the issue of minor keys. Basically, every major key has what we call a relative minor key which has exactly the same sharps or flats as the major. The minor key is always three semitones down from the major, so for example C would have the relative minor of A minor, whilst G would have E minor and so on. To set up PT for a minor key you just select the relative major.

The other problem is more strange. Are you sure that PT is booting each new file in the key of C? If you've saved an $OPTIONS file, or a template in a different key it will start a new file in that key and you'll need to change it back to C before you start.

Let us know if this doesn't sort it and someone else might have a better idea.

Regards, ROG.

Hi, thank you !
About the reletive minor : of course, but I thought that maybe, as obviously there was something wrong with the "C" (major) option, trying some Am would maybe sort things out. I uninstalled and reinstalled PT, same problem. My trials seem to be in C, there are no sharps or flats at the key signature, and when I click there I read "C". "C" also on the toolbar and in "Options/Key Signature". If I try another key signature, I also get loads of unnecessary naturals. I imported a MIDI file, notation showed all right. I started a file inserting notes with the mouse, notation showed all right. I tried recording a new file, unwanted naturals all over the place.
Then I turned off my A-33 MIDI keyboard and turned it on again, althought it gave perfectly normal results in two other sequencers.. Played a few notes. Notation showed OK. Ten I loaded a file which had showed unnecessary naturals. And the track showed OK in Notation. Then I recorded a new file : junk again.
Other trouble : when I try to import a Band In A Box song, having selected "Band In A Box" Songs (?G?), I get an error message "Not a PowerTracks .SEQ file". I also get "Access violation at adress .... in module 'pwt.exe" when I open a track I just recorded.
I feel a bit depressed...

Hi Tom,

It does start to look as if there's some conflict between PT and the A-33. Certainly, if PT enters notes ok using the mouse and a re-set on the A-33 cures things for a while, that's what I'd guess. Have you got access to any other keyboard just to try it? If it works ok, then we start to look at what problems the A-33 might have.

I'm not a Band In A Box user, so maybe someone else can pick this up?

ROG.

PTW does not open BiaB files (that I know of), Realband does.
If you have BiaB you should have Realband, which looks and acts much like PTW. Maybe try that.

Rog, thanks for trying ;-) but with a Yamaha MIDI keyboard I get the same problem. Rharv, at least PowerTracks Pro Audio 2011 is supposed to import BB files : if you click "Import" inthe File menu, you have an option ""Band In A Box" Songs (?G?)". But it does not work here.
Tom

Check that the BiaB file is not newer than PT2011. Some features may have been added ..
Didn't remember PT2011 as importing BiaB files, but if it is listed it must be able to. Do you have the latest PT2011 update? (free from pgmusic in the support area)
Do you have Realband to try it in?

Rharv, thanks, but the BIAB file is from 2009, PT is version 2011. I see no update for it on http://www.pgmusic.com/support_windows_pt.htm so I suppose it is up to date. Thanks for advising me Realband, but it is a bit strange after buying PT as a BIAB-related DAW... If RB is that, what is the reason to keep selling PT ?
Tom

PT is a Daw available for people who don't own BiaB .. just a recording software for a great price.

Once they incorporated more BiaB features into it and included it with BiaB (and it became Realband), there is really no reason for BiaB users to have PT. Realband is PT *plus* so much more. You're going to like it. You can generate parts (like in BiaB) right in Realband, but functionally it acts just like PT. It's a combination of both worlds, and for some it's actually better than BiaB (depending on how you work).
Very cool that PGMusic added it to the BiaB purchase.

That should be explained clearly to potential buyers, the way you just did. Now... is there somewhere a warrant that RB would not clutter my staffs with stupid useless naturals ? ;-)

Tom

Hi Tom and rharv.

Yeah, it's right that when you go to open a file in PT one of the file type options to view is BiaB and so I suppose you should be able to do that. Is it possible that PT will only open BiaB files which contain just MIDI tracks, so that you can add your own audio?

Just a shot in the dark. I've no way of checking, but perhaps you can?
Still thinking about the other thing!

ROG.

Hey Tom, guess what? I might have found the answer.

Open the NOTATION window and at the top left corner you'll see a button for Opt. Click this and you're into the notation settings. Up near the top left of this window is a box labeled TRANSPOSE. If you've got anything but a zero in this box it produces exactly the problem you describe. What's worse is that the setting is preserved even after a re-boot of PT. The only way back is to change it manually.

Please let me know if this works so I can get some sleep!

ROG.

Rog, do go and get some sleep ! That's what I'll do, it's 1:21 pm here in Brussels, my music computer is downstairs and turned off ... BTW the BB file I tried to open had no audio, only MIDI in it. Thanks, I'm anxious to try your tip, although I already messed with that Notation/Options/Transpose. Tomorrow is another day (God willing and the creek don't rise).

Tom.

As it happens, the creek (or mill stream as we call it) runs about fifteen feet from the back of our house, but it's not rising at the moment!

One other thing which comes to mind is the MIDI thru setting. If you're on TRACK-SPECIFIC the check boxes come into play. There's one for KEY which has works in some mysterious way that I'm not too sure about, but it would seem like a good idea to see if it's set to zero.

ROG.

PT2011 does have BIAB import capability; however, unlike RealBand, it does not have the BIAB accompaniment generation engine. When you open a BIAB in PT, you only get the melody/soloist track, as well as the chord grid. None of the other BIAB tracks get generated.

PT will not use any RealTracks, but it can use RealDrums. The main difference, as I see it, between RealBand and PT now is that RealBand will automate a lot of the music generation process, where PT pretty much expects for you (and/or your band mates) to play the parts yourself, whether audio or MIDI.

I agree with Bob, however, that if you have BIAB (which means you should have RealBand), then use RealBand. PT is great, however, if you just need an audio/MIDI sequencer without the auto-generation features. PT is a whole lot less expensive than having to buy BIAB to get RealBand (and I suspect, it would be the same even if they offered RealBand separately, because to use RealBand to its fullest, you need all the RealTracks, etc, which is what adds to the price).

My $0.02 worth, decreasing in value every day.

Hi everybody, Notation/Options/Transpose is set to 0. I tried every possible trick, trying every key, transposing in every way... I disabled Midi Thru, and anyway the "key" check box was set to 0. Always naturals all over the place, without harmonic logic (I mean, it is not like it was showing "C" but in fact considering that the track is in another key...).
Will maybe the technical support at PG help me ?
Jford, I have BB 2007, which did not include RB. I record MIDI into BB with no trouble. Of course I can buy RB, but what if I am confronted to the same problem ?
Anyway, thanks for the information and efforts !

Tom

PS Glad that the creek seems quiet, Rog. But maybe it's the Creeks ! See http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don't_rise