Hi everybody,

I would like to insert 3 individual notes at the early beginning of a backing track.
I guess this is feasible but I don't know how.

In addition, can I choose a specific instrument (a banjo) to play these notes ?

Thanks for a help.

You can copy and paste in the Audio Edit (enable Snap) if you want pickup notes or use midi notes and select a banjo as instrument.

I followed the steps you showed me, but I din't get the window where I could choose the bars where to insert the notes.
Instead, I got this comment: Audio is frozen.
Where can I unfreeze Audio ?

Try this?

I already did it, but no result.
Audio is in red with a red star.

I hadly ever use BIAB to do this as all my work apart from initial rough mx is done in RB but this should work. Open the mixer and choose an unused utility track. right click and choose 'select midi patch.' choose GM patch 106 banjo. clcik the notation icon and choose staff roll notation mode. then enter your notes using the mouse. the manual will tell you how to edit time pitch and velocity. you don't want audio as the way to enter your notes is by midi.

I showed it on the Audio track but you can do it on any track, don't use the Audio track if you have a file loaded on it.
Use the alt+F8 to generate on bar 1 up as it won't generate on the count-in bars so you need to cut and paste it to bar 0.

If the OP uses midi and the staff role they can choose exactly where they want the notes in relation to the rest of the song.......they can always add bars to give themselves space....... i really think midi is the answer here

Finally I found how to unfreeze the Audio track (in "Track Settings and Actions").
I can't use the Alt+F8 shortcut due to the lack of F keys on my laptop.
Is there another way to open the "Regenerate Parts of a Track" window ?

I appreciate your support, but is there a technical reason to avoid using real sound i.o. Midi ? I would like making the song as realistic as possible, ... even using an artificial voice !

In the track menu > Track Actions > Regenerate window.

Yes. Right-click on the track radio button at the top of the screen and go to Track Actions | Auto Regenerate Part of RealTracks.

have you tried midi? your assumption that it will not sound good is not corrrect. the quality of sound does depend on the synth and the sample but lots of us use midi and in fact - i believe - playable RealTracks are midi using the samples from the RT recording. and of course finding the audio you need of the right three notes is almost impossible. with midi you can choose exactly what you want. for a full discussion on this read the post here............

https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=777473&page=1

read the post and if you if you follow the link i put in one of my posts you'll find a sound clip of me doing exaclty what you want to do with a specific set of notes and midi

I found what I was looking for by clicking on "Regenerate window" (and not "Regenerate parts of Realtracks")

Thank you for your time

That's great. I hope it was of some value. Good luck with your project.

Hi,

This is very interesting. I had a very bad image of the sound quality of Midi and you make me open my eyes on a new reality.
I am following your instructions but I don't understand what you mean by "click the notation icon". Where is it located ?

I think the intention was to click the 'Views' tab and then select Piano Roll (or Notation), and enter the notes manually from there.

the BIAB GUI is a bit crowded so thanks to Audiotrack for the picture. let us know how you get on

Technically this gives excellent results, but the Midi sounds of a banjo, a guitar, a mandolin is very far from expected, certainly in conjunction with RealTracks.

Maybe this approach could be better:
- Open my Daw (Reaper)
- Go to Band in a Box in Reaper
- Drag my BiaB file to Reaper as a first track
- Create a second track
- Go to Kontakt and load my VST Bluegrass Banjo V3 (Boulder Sounds)
- Create just 3 notes in this second track
- Play both tracks together

You do know you can load Kontakt and that very same VST bluegrass Banjo V3 in BIAB.

So of course you can do this in your DAW as you suggest, but this has to be just as doable in the box. If it is not, than shame on BIAB for being so cryptic and confusing for such a simple task.

I guess it may also depend on the quality of the sound source (VSTi / DXi etc) that the MIDI is playing through.

That is exactly what it is. You need to spend money to get good sounds. Indiginus has great banjo, guitar, and mandolin sounds: https://www.indiginus.com/home

However they are expensive and require the full version of Kontakt.

Google/Bing "instrument name" vst and one will find a number of pay and free VSTis. Maybe a search will find good and less expensive sounds.

You are right, quality costs money, in all fields.
Actually I know Indiginius products, I have some of their excellent VST for making Bluegrass music. Kontakt being essential is also in my library.

This is not clear for me. What makes a Midi sound good or bad ? How can Midi play through samples?
But I don't want to deviate from the main topic of this forum, so these questions are for later.

This is certainly thrue, but BiaB is complicated enough for me not to have to add extra difficulties.
Please remember, I am a newbie.

if the midi banjo you have is not good enough, try to download a better version...........a quick google search found this

https://www.pluginboutique.com/products/5809

but there are many othres if the midi banjo sound you have is not very good. that's the beuaty of mdi

Please forgive me not sharing your enthusiasm about Midi but I can't find good quality ones that could compete with VST based on samples.

Sounds like a bit of confusion regarding the difference between Midi Code and the sounds which are generated by the sample library. Combine that with the fact the "a couple notes" played on a banjo ain't goin sound all that good by themselves.

But here is the real issue (well maybe just for me ). What you are attempting to do should be the most simple and basic of operations. I did this in BIAB in the years past using my keyboard to record in the midi notes or by just manually entering them in piano roll. Then I would select a goto sound synth (internal or external) or even select a VSTi like Kontakt and it would work. Over the years I have moved much if not all of that workflow to a DAW. And today I do things in the DAW I never know possible when I was full time BIAB. Now, when I go back to try to illustrate a simple workflow in BIAB to do what you are requesting, I find myself dead in the water. It is actually painful to work like this.

So, sorry I can't help you. I just hope someone else can come along who remembers how to do this and give a clear workflow video.

the link i provided takes you to a vst based on samples and you drive it with midi............

In case no one recognized this ... it was a challenge. Certainly some one, other than me, remembers how to do what the OP is requesting and can put together a short instruction video? And while you are pondering this, how about someone othen than the two or three guys who answer 90% of all the questions in this forum step up and take lead on this.

Thanks for the link, but I will repeat myself, Yojo is a poor attempt to emulate a real banjo sound.

Presumably this is the Yojo you are referring to? - The free one?

We're only end users. What methods did PG Music suggest you should utilize to get your desired result?

The BiaB product is extensible, but doesn't purport to do provide every possible nuance for every available instrument. That's not what RealTracks are designed for. That's not what every MIDI controlled VSTi can accurately deliver.

Have you considered a recording studio? A session there would probably give you recording with a guaranteed result that perfectly fits your needs.

Please note I'm absolutely not complaining about the quality of the Midi tracks in Band in a Box.
I never did it, I only stated they were not adapted to my project.
I own enough excellent commercial Banjo VST's to perform the job.
I am sorry if I was not clear enough (Please remember English is not my mothertong).

Thanks for clarifying. Did you manage to find a Banjo VSTi that worked successfully?