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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,673
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,673 |
Thank you Noel, that solves the problem of separate tracks, and probably explains why sometimes it worked for me and other times not. I must have had it unchecked in one. So that is great, if MAC users don't have access to RealBand, then this will work for them, and also I find BIAB really fast if I just want this feature quickly to get back to Synth V. Yes, the same process should work for either Mac or Windows. If you encounter a file that does not load into Synth V properly (e.g. harmonies not on separate tracks), it would be great if you could send us the file (ideally both the BB song file and MIDI file). If you don't want to share the file on the forum you could send it to support@pgmusic.com and reference this forum thread, or send it to me in a PM.
Andrew
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 57
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 57 |
Hi,
Another user of Reaper + BB + Synth-V, with little time for music... and most of it dedicated to finish a project that is not songwriting.
I can replicate the steps to export melody + harmony tracks to multiple tracks in Reaper but I saw a few things that are midway between possible bugs and expected features:
1) Setting the harmony properly, dragging the melody to the drop area and then dragging the "MID" rectangle to Reaper drops melody plus harmonies, but all in the same track (somehow expected) but also all in the same MIDI channel. Why? When hitting play BB uses channels 4,11 and 12 (if properly set both in the general options and the harmony channels A, B and C).
I would expect to have at least the 3 MIDI channels separated.
Ideally, the best thing could be to export the MIDI as separate tracks.
2) It could be ideal if someone could create the harmonies from the VST3 plugin, this has the advantage of the integrated edition (it is really the main advantage of using the DAW mode.
3) It could be less ideal but much better than the present situation if one could drag and drop harmonies from BiaB standalone to a DAW. Not as good (but I think there are other things to fix in the plugin with higher priority).
4) Finally I understand the RealBand workflow but.... too many steps for this time and age! And as Thomas S points, not valid for MAC users (not my case). I think it could be a reasonable expectation that important functions in BB have the equivalent in the plugin.
The new flexibilty to define tracks in BB 2024, combined with the "Multipicker Library" and the tracks view is great. I don't know if it is reasonable to expect that the new functionality will also work with the convenient drag'n'drop exporting or (much better) inside the plug-in. I also appreciate the efforts to directly reference the Real Tracks in Reaper without the need to actually render and copy them locally, this opens the integration to a whole new level. But at the same time I miss simple stuff.
I understand that the origin of BB was a "MIDI accompaniment program" (very good for live use back in the 90's). I also understand and appreciate the total compatibility with older files generated... 30 years ago? That's a massive plus for me. But now that BB is taking the whole songwriting process to a new dimension (now with the revolution of synthetic voices!) it could be important to streamline the functionality and workflow of important functions to be used in a DAW. In a generic external DAW, not RealBand or PowerTracks.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 129
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 129 |
There are two separate (but related) issues in this thread relating to streamlining the workflow of BB with Synthesizer V:
1) Getting MIDI lyrics in and out of BB and back and forth to Synth V
2) Getting BB-generated harmonies on to separate tracks.
My understanding of the status of these issues are:
1) RealBand works perfectly for both issues, but BB does not. If BB could be aligned to the way RealBand does this that would be a great improvement.
2) Noel has explained a way for BB to export harmonies on separate tracks, but I cannot yet confirm that it works for me. I need to keep trying.
3) The only way to get lyrics in and out of BB is to either use the MIDI text converter, or Reaper users can use the script posted above. In either case it is slow and cumbersome, until BB is upgraded.
4) In the meantime, for Windows users, using RealBand will be the best solution.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 57
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 57 |
There are two separate (but related) issues in this thread relating to streamlining the workflow of BB with Synthesizer V:
1) Getting MIDI lyrics in and out of BB and back and forth to Synth V
2) Getting BB-generated harmonies on to separate tracks.
My understanding of the status of these issues are:
1) RealBand works perfectly for both issues, but BB does not. If BB could be aligned to the way RealBand does this that would be a great improvement.
2) Noel has explained a way for BB to export harmonies on separate tracks, but I cannot yet confirm that it works for me. I need to keep trying.
3) The only way to get lyrics in and out of BB is to either use the MIDI text converter, or Reaper users can use the script posted above. In either case it is slow and cumbersome, until BB is upgraded.
4) In the meantime, for Windows users, using RealBand will be the best solution. I totally agree. And I would add... If this welcome functionality (harmonies, lyrics) was available in the plug-in it could be times better! (that's the intention of having the plugin, isn't it?). I have similar feelings about Synth-V plug-in, but this is not relevant here.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,673
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,673 |
1) Setting the harmony properly, dragging the melody to the drop area and then dragging the "MID" rectangle to Reaper drops melody plus harmonies, but all in the same track (somehow expected) but also all in the same MIDI channel. Why? When hitting play BB uses channels 4,11 and 12 (if properly set both in the general options and the harmony channels A, B and C). Thanks for your interesting comments. I think this has been said earlier in the thread, but just to clarify -- I believe that most of the confusion around saving the harmonies in MIDI files is related to the concept in Band-in-a-Box of "writing the harmony to the melody track". If you *do not* select that option, then the harmony is generated in real-time and is not actually written on any track. You can save a MIDI file by pressing the MIDI button in the toolbar (file panel). If in the MIDI file options dialog you have selected "include harmony in MIDI file" (which is the default), then Band-in-a-Box will write the harmony parts to separate tracks "Harmony voice 1", "Harmony voice 2", etc. So that should be perfect for Synth V. However, if you do the function to "write/convert the harmony to the melody track" and save the MIDI file, or you use drag and drop via the drop station, both the Melody and harmony parts are saved to the same track. Since we have Utility tracks now in Band-in-a-Box, we should probably write the harmony parts to separate utility tracks and that would avoid the problem of the parts being on the same track.
Last edited by Andrew - PG Music; 01/12/24 02:16 PM.
Andrew
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 129
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 129 |
RESOLVED!
The issue is now resolved with the update to version 1109. Midi Lyrics come in and out of BB and back and forth to Synth V perfectly. Very fast service and attention to our needs. Thank you!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,355
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,355 |
Hi Thomas, Yes! It's excellent  When you get a chance, could you click on the "Resolved" button in original post in this thread? That will let everyone know that the post is a worthy read because it was resolved. All the best, --Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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