Exporting just straight drum tracks

PG Music Home

Hi!

Massive program, great stuff but right now all I want to do is find, listen to and export just drum tracks into Sonar for a project. Help goes straight in at the deep end I can't find this simple thing! Can you help?

Thanks

Should be able to do this simply with the Drag and Dr0p feature between BIAB and Sonar.

http://screencast.com/t/slGiSYAHkHJQ

Welcome to the forum

Right click on the Drums radio button at top of screen. There is an option to save to a WAV file.

R

Drag and drop as suggested. But that was a fairly recent feature, and your bio fails to mention your VERSION, and your setup. But drag and drop, if you have it, is fairly easy.

This forum is like very few - where else do you get this kind of quick response to a newbee question?

I know over in Reaper I can always an answer, but there are 1000's of members to that forum. Here there certainly is a dedicated following.

Rachael, John, Jazzmandan

Thanks for answering. Took my eye off the ball for a while, but now I'm back again and still can't do it but determined to get it this time round! Can anyone talk me through?

I've got BIAB 11. No option to 'save as WAV' by right-clicking Drums button - just Select and Mute. No 'drag-and-drop' feature shows up in the Help index, so I guess I haven't got it.

Audio > Render MIDI to WAV goes through the motions of doing the job but the resulting file is 0 kb and makes no sound.

Strangely the 'Set Recording Properties' button on the Render to Audio File dialogue box does nothing - i.e. doesn't open up a further dialogue.

The Help then gets mega-technical about wiring this to that, external MIDI modules, etc. I don't understand

I've got a basic Edirol UA-4fx soundcard with one cable from the computer USB port going into it (apart from my keyboard) and the speakers coming out - that's all!

I experimented with the MIDI set-up wizard and the MIDI output drivers and the only one that makes sense is the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth. I'm happy recording that, if anyone can tell me how...

Please...!!

Thanks for your time and patience!

Robert58

Your version is late enough to have the drag and drop feature. To get started run biab and load a style, click on the daw plugin button (right of save+ button). Select options and read through some of the things there to get an idea of what you're working with. Close that out and start sonar. Then hit the daw button again, this time select start daw mode and start dragging and dropping. Practice with all three ways to start to get it under you thumb.

To use the biab help, just type in 'daw' in search and it will narrow your selection down to good starting points.

Edit: If you have more problems, be sure and post back, possibly opening a new thread on the specific problem as it will probably get more 'eyes' that way lol.

Quote:

....Audio > Render MIDI to WAV goes through the motions of doing the job but the resulting file is 0 kb and makes no sound. ....

Let's play with this a little. Start biab and hit style, select a style that's all midi or at least mostly midi, hit load song demo, and get it playing. Stop playback and click audio, render to wav, and in the dialog box select choose. Select desktop, click new folder and select it and hit save. Tic the 'make separate files' if it isn't already, and hit render. Once it's done, minimize bb and open your 'new folder' folder and see what you have. If the files are not as expected report back and we'll try to figure out why. After you check your files, just delete the 'new folder' folder from your desktop.

For biab help, just type in 'render' in the search and the first thing that pops up is a good starting point.

Edit: You might want to try my next post before this one. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Jim

Quote:

...I've got a basic Edirol UA-4fx soundcard with one cable from the computer USB port going into it (apart from my keyboard) and the speakers coming out - that's all...

I don't have that but it should work. It looks like it includes the vsc (virtual sound canvas) and that's a much better synth than microsoft GS imo. Do you have vsc installed and can you use it in sonar? Also what kind of keyboard do you have and does it have internal sounds?

To get us on the same page, install the roland vsc again and remember or write down where the installer puts it. (it's just a .dll file)

Then start biab and hit 'opt' and 'midi/audio setup'. Tic 'use vst', untic midi thru for now, and hit 'vst/dxi settings'. When that menu opens, choose the top dropdown, go all the way to the bottom and click 'add vst, go to where the installer put your vsc and choose it, then close that menu when it loads.

Leave mme set for your audio, or set it back if it isn't (for now). Select your usb in for midi input, select 'no midi output'(for now), hit ok to close everything.

Hit style and load a midi style, hit load song demo and hit play. You should be hearing sounds from your roland vsc. Click the vsti synth button to see it. ((off to right of rec button. If it's hidden hit the two small arrows)

To record midi in biab select the red record button and it should record to the melody track. I'm thinking you should be able to do this now, but if not report back.

For biab help on vsti, type in 'vst' for some good starting points. For recording midi, the info is a little scattered, but 'record' will give you some starting points.

Robert,

One way to easily get your drum track is to save the BIAB file you're working on and then open it in Realand. The drum track will then be created in Realband and it can be saved as a single track by highlighting the track and then exporting it to WAV (via the "Audio" option on the menu).

Regards,
Noel

Hi Jim

Coming to this one first.

First thing BIAB says when you hit 'Choose' for a file save location is 'Choose a file name. The file chosen must reside in the same folder C:\BB\ ... I tried that advice - still got the blank render.

Following your method. No 'make separate files' button - un-ticked 'Merge in Audio track' - same thing?? Do the (re)Render to WAV thing. first thing it tells me is 'REMEMBER UNLESS YOU HAVE MIDI SET TO RECORD IN THE RECORDING PROPERTIES NOTHING GETS RECORDED' - but as I posted earlier, 'Set Recording Properties' button does nothing (?!?)

Later, in the desktop folder I find a track called Render_1 which is very short and silent.

The Render dialogue box meanwhile tells me I have saved as BB\_NONAM~1.WAV. Never heard of it - must be a default name, That's 8 secs long as well and empty too.

Any ideas?

Thanks again

Robert

Thanks Jim

I don't appear to have VSC3 - my son did a partial install and abandoned, I'm trying to salvage something from the mess, don't have discs any more. Can I gt it somewhere, Isn't it free? I'd like it, I guess, but that's not the point. The sound here in BIAB is actually pretty good - way better than MS GS Wavetable synth - which I know well.

Still at a point where no sound is recorded. "'Use vst', untic midi thru" - these buttons don't appear on my current MIDI driver setup dialogue. I use Cubase SX3 these days rather than Sonar.

"To record midi in biab select the red record button and it should record to the melody track. I'm thinking you should be able to do this now, but if not report back."

No red record button on BIAB 11 that I can see, though there is a record button. No 'vsti synth button' or 'two small arrows' - a yellow box with nothing in it? Pressed Rec - it played but at the end said 0 notes recorded.

Any ideas?

thanks

Robert58

Hi Noel

Thanks for the tp, but I don't have Realband - just BIAB and Cubase.

Thanks anyway

Robert

Hi Robert,

If you have BIAB 2011, you'll also have Realband as the PG Music set-up installs both programs at the same time. It will be under the Start Menu in the Band In A Box item. (You mentioned that you had version "11". I have taken this to mean version 2011, Windows edition. If it is indeed the very much older version 11, and/or a non-Windows edition then you may not have Realband.)

Regards,
Noel

Robert, serious question here: Do you have BIAB 2011, or do you have... BIAB 11? Which would put it at, what, the 2002 edition?

Quote:

... No 'make separate files' button - un-ticked 'Merge in Audio track' - same thing?? .....

Any ideas?.....

Like Noel, I assumed you had 2011, but it appears you have a much older version, and I won't be able to help you with that. The only thing I might suggest is that you can save to a midi file and then open that in cubase. The command is 'make a standard midi file' and it's found in the 'file' menu. That goes way, way back, so I'm pretty sure you have that lol.

Have you thought about upgrading. I know it's a lot of money, but it's also endless hours of entertainment. In my opinion, there is no other program out there that delivers more bang for the buck.

Edit: Another thing occurs to me. If you're routing midi back to your keyboard and getting sounds from it, then you do need to record those sounds first. The render to wave only works when you have a virtual synth assigned.

I'm gonna throw this one to the boss. Peter? Andrew? I think this fine gent has BIAB 11. Is there any obvious way he can export a drum track only -- say, by rendering tracks individually, and/or muting everything but the drums? Could BIAB 11 do that?

Io no comprendo!

I can hear the drum track, there's a button which says, Make a Wav out of this, you press it and it doesn't work.

What could be simpler? The sounds already exist, all I want to do is record them!!

Jim, thanks for trying, but that's not what I call hours of fun!

BIAB 11

Robert,

There's probably not too many people here on the forums who remember BIAB. From what I can estimate, it's around 10 years old. Your best bet is to send an email to support@PGmusic.com. In that email, include the web address of this thread so they can see what has been discussed. It will make it easier for them.

All the best,
Noel

Thanks Noel, give that a try

Bob

On the other hand, you could shell out the quite reasonable price for an upgrade -- especially to the UltraPlusPAK or EverythingPAK -- and we guarantee you will be completely and utterly blown away with how BIAB has evolved over the past ten years.

Yes indeed I could Tom but if you've got a piece of kit which says it will do something and then doesn't (and, when you delve into the Help to find out why, goes straight into full-on techno-speak), why would you go out and buy another one?

This isn't rocket science, this is an auto-accompaniment programme which won't write a wav. Hardly confidence-inspiring.

My version (the current one) and the previous one, both made .wav files from whatever was there without problem.

I have all sorts of files that came out of the software, some are now mp3's, some are wma's and a few are even in apple format, (because I could).

Never had a problem.

That's great, John. I'm just pushing the button that says do it and it's not, so I came to forum for advice. Is all!

Robert, I'm expecting that PG Support will be able to address this one way or another but... I suspect that BIAB 11 may be incompatible with whatever version of Windows you're running. Although you could try Compatibility Mode (right-click on the icon, or the program in Explorer, and select Properties) set to Windows 98.

Hi Tom

You learn something every day - never new this thingy existed.

I didn't realise our BIAB was so ancient - it's a bit of a resurrection job. I'll try your thing out and get back to you.

Thanks for sticking with it.

Bob

Robert,

If you have a few spare minutes, you should have a listen to some of the demos on the web page below.

http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.realtracks.htm

This will give you a rough idea of how far BIAB has come since you bought your version!

Good luck with it all,
Noel

Hi Noel

It's a stunning selection. no doubt, impressive quality and all, but I have reservations.

I'm an old-school analogue guitar-and-piano teacher-cum-player. My stand-out feature, if you like, is that I can teach people to 'mess around with chords'.
On one level, it's great that people can put together music from bits of other people's performances and there's obviously a massive market for it, but my concern is to equip people to compose and play the 'generic' grooves BIAB is selling.

I have a website, www.musicarta.com, currently free-to-air, dedicated to this aim. Musicarta desperately needs needs 'sexing up', with, in particular, drum backing for the audio performance clips which litter the site. Whereupon it will become a well-respected and reasonably popular membership site which pays its own way.

Anyway, that's what I want the drum tracks for. Just so's you know!

Good luck with your stuff, too!

Robert

Of course we'll stick with you, Robert, that's what we do here.

I like your site -- in fact, I'll likely check it out in detail if I ever get a decent keyboard. I had piano lessons in my teens, but they never stuck, which annoys me to this day, as I love piano music from Beethoven to Billy Joel and wish I could play.

If worse comes to worst, I've got a stopgap for this particular project: If you can't figure out any other way to do it, you can send me the .SGU/.MGU/.MID file by e-mail (filkertom at yahoo dot com), and I'll render it for you, both the MIDI with Addictive Drums and using a few different RealDrums tracks. I'll then upload them to my web space, tomsmithonline.com, and you can download them at your leisure. Reasonable?

Hi Tom

Very kind, but it's an ongoing thing - got to learn to do it myself. I've got the whole site to upgrade.

As for your pianistic career, I suggest you make do with a less-than-perfect keyboard for now and get started - keyboard know-how is a mountain built from daily teaspoon-sized efforts and efficient practice a la Musicarta is the only thing approaching a short-cut you'll find.

See you on the site!

Bob

Whenever any verasion of Band in a Box does not do something that it is supposed to do:

**First, check the Support Pages and find the latest Update for your version of the program, compare it to what is reported in your Help->About window inside BiaB, and, if your version is not the latest available update, download and install the update. I do seem to recall a fix released for one of the older versions that addressed this exact problem.

**Sometimes all that is needed is a reboot of the computer. Believe it or not. My Scientific Wild-A Guess on that one is that resources can sometimes get tangled up and a reboot puts the bit ducks back in a row behind the mama bit duck. But this has indeed brought the program back to full functionality a few times here, especially if there has been a rather long editing session to a songfile before the desired operation fails to work.

**Inside BiaB, under the Options menu, is "Return to Factory Settings". Try it as well. There is a critical file that the program must be able to write to when it closes and it also must be able to read from it when the program is opened. Often can be the case that file gets corrupted at some time when BB freezes, crashes, or otherwiase must be exited in any way other than gracefully getting thru the Close Program routines. So by all means, always try the Return to Factory Settings command when the program stops doing something that it is supposed to do - but only after making sure that you're also up to date as regards those critical Program Updates.

How to find the Updates?

There's hotlink in my dotsig file, under almost every post I make here. That's one way to find 'em fast...

--Mac

Understood completely, Bob, both on the drums and the keyboard. I actually have a first-gen Oxygen8 keyboard (all 25 keys of it), which will likely be enough for me to start with; I'm hoping to get a halfway decent el cheapo 49- or 61-key controller sometime next year. Of course, I've been saying that for ten years now....

Hi Mac

Thanks for the helpful post. I am going through the steps - will let you know.

Thanks again

Bob

Hi Mac

Well! I restored factory settings and now I can't hear anything at all!!

BB asks me if I want to reinstall drivers for anything and everything, I say yes, re-start/re-boot, no sound. Volume at 90, pianola keys all going, instruments all blue.

Any ideas??!!

Bob

Cancel last post!! Sound is back! Had left Output device on my MIDI modem. Sorry for the confusion.

I now see that I have a pdf ofr the BIAB upgrade which I don't know about which says:

"To use the Direct-To-Disk Rendering feature, first make sure that you have
installed the Roland VSC3. If you have installed the Roland VSC3, you'll see
it listed as one of the output drivers when you choose Opt. | MIDI driver setup.

"You don't have to select the Roland VSC3 to use the Direct-to-Disk Rendering,
you just need to have installed the driver at some time.

[ENDS]

aAppararently I don't have, so I'll get that installed and see what pots.

Cheers, and thanks again.

Bob

Why not export the MIDI drum track from BIAB, import it into Sonar, and render it to audio there? Noel is right though--contact support for a solution. I doubt very few of the forum members have version 11 or the manual at this point.

OMG why don't I listen? Perhaps I couldn't believe this could be so easy?! Because I thought you needed a VST drummer? Anyway, I did what you said and ba-boom - exact same sound in Sonar! How do they do that?! And you can change the tempo!!

And I just know someone suggested this about three days / 12 posts ago...!

Guys - Tom, Noel, John, Fred, Mac - I hope you all see this post. THANKS. Life, God, whatever, never gives up on you - always a lesson! I'm laughing!

Thanks again

Bob

P.S. Bedtime here.

Later!

Bob

Hi again

Here's a real newbie question. I export the BB MIDI and open it in Cubase. I've only saved the bass and drums. Cubase plays the MIDI tracks using Microsoft GS Wavetable synth (don't laugh!).

My questions are:

1. Would it be worth my while installing Roland VSC3? Would I get better sounds? Really don't want to get too hi-tech here, this really only needs to be one step up from a metronome click!

2. How do I get to choose the instruments? Messing with 'Channel' doesn't have any effect apart from the bass somtimes going to a piano voice.

3. If I open the drum track I see drum sounds assigned to keyboard keys. Where do I get a 'map' which tells me which keys are which sounds?

Appreciate any pointers to a newbie sequencing forum if this is toooooooo tedious!

Thanks anyway

Bob

Quote:

1. Would it be worth my while installing Roland VSC3? Would I get better sounds? Really don't want to get too hi-tech here, this really only needs to be one step up from a metronome click!

The VSC Dxi sounds a lot better to most ears. BUT -- It only works on 32 bit systems, so be sure to check your system before attempting to install, no go if you have a 64 bit system running, unfortunately.

Quote:

2. How do I get to choose the instruments? Messing with 'Channel' doesn't have any effect apart from the bass somtimes going to a piano voice.

You shouldn't be messing with Channels, that should be reset to the Defaults. If necessary, do a Return to Factory Settings under the Options menu.

You can change instrument patches by first selecting the trackname radio button, then use the little Patch Name Dropdown window on the upper left to select from the GM list.

Quote:

3. If I open the drum track I see drum sounds assigned to keyboard keys. Where do I get a 'map' which tells me which keys are which sounds?

Use the MIDI Drum Window for that. There is a toolbar icon or you can hit ctrl-shift-D to see it. Bring it up while a song is playing MIDI drums and watch it work. There are insternal settings such that you can have it show the MIDI note numbers for the Percussion bank or instead show QWERTY keynames that allow you to play along using the computer keyboard. It also serves as that Key for you.

--Mac

Thanks Mac, very helpful, will get to that soonest.

Bob

So glad you have your tracks!

Mac

Decided MS Wavetable synth could possibly be improved om! I thought Roland VSC was free/freely available? Not so?

Where can you officially get it? All the 'download VSC free' sites look really dodgy...

thanks (if you've got the t8me)

Bob

Hi

Anybody walk me through this?

If I export a song (as MIDI) from BB and import it into Cubase, the assigned 'out' is 'Project5 LE', which I think came with my soundcard (Edirol UA-4FX), but my Cubase SX3 doesn't play any sound. Ergo, I suppose, Project5 isn't registered/loaded/whatever with Cubase.

I've located a Project5 folder in C:\Program Files\Cakewalk. What do I have to do to make it available in Cubase?

Thanks

Bob

VSC comes on your BiaB install disk(s)...