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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
I have a MIDI tune that I pulled into BiaB. I asked for a new arrangement and it did so. I like the tune and the arrangements for each of the instruments. Now I want to take exact notation for the MIDI vibes and I want to convert this to a RealTrack (same arrangement, same notation but different source). Can do?
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 603
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 603 |
Quote:
Can do?
Nixola.
Two different realms. They do not "convert" in either direction.
Larry
______
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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Quote:
I have a MIDI tune that I pulled into BiaB. I asked for a new arrangement and it did so. I like the tune and the arrangements for each of the instruments. Now I want to take exact notation for the MIDI vibes and I want to convert this to a RealTrack (same arrangement, same notation but different source). Can do?
You just described the common MIDI Sampler.
RealTracks don't work that way. RealTracks are samples of whole phrases rather than one-note-at-a-time. That's what makes 'em sound so "real".
Use of a good sounding MIDI synth/sampler often does better, though.
Vibes, the common MIDI sampler sounds just about identical to the real thing anyway. Not a hard thing for the MIDI standard to implement. Changing MIDI Vibes patch to other instruments that have a hard attack, such as Pianos, can work sometimes. Changing to horns can sometimes be problematic, but again, use of a better MIDi synth/sampler will often allow for us to get away with such. Check out the Ketron SD2 Orchestral Wizard.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
1. I spend $280 bucks on BiaB MegaPak because sales tells me I won't be satisfied with just vanilla BiaB. I'm going to need 'Real' this and 'Real' that. Okay, Mega it is!
2. I then find out the vendor sent me the wrong version (after half a day and a half troubleshooting on the phone with sales and support). 200+ minutes on the cell! Disappeared!
3. They have me install and reinstall three times all the while insisting there must be something wrong with the brand-new, tried and tested, name brand, quad-core multimedia machine I bought just especially for this purpose (which I previously spent at least three days researching and reviewing). Another $800 -- Bam!
4. I wait for replacement discs sent by mail (software that would not be sent from the Internet vendor because I opened the original software that was not labeled correctly by their company). Almost 30 years in IT Development and Support and they tell me I need to get help with someone who understands PC's! Are you kidding me? Pow!
5. I spend 3 weeks reading the manual cover to cover and trying my best to get hold of this learning curve. Three weeks of bloodshot eyes -- I'm still asking newbie questions that I can't find the answers for in the documentation I just read! OMG, what am I doing wrong here!
6. I'm on the Internet practically every spare moment trying to absorb as much as I can in a reasonable period of time. I'm thinking I'll need another hard disc before this is over! Maybe a new PC too! Bang!
7. I haven't even bought a single piece of hardware that I'll almost certainly need. Yah, I know ... I've seen BiaB users with more hardware on their hands than I paid for my first car (and probably my house too)! I tally it up and I'm looking at nothing short of 5G's just to get started being able to record and perform?
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And now today I need to spend another $379 for another box to plug in that will make the BiaB product sound real ?
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Sorry, I am very thankful for the resources here that have tried to help me thus far. You people are a very talented group and I hope PG knows what a fantastic group you all are.
I'm just not sure I've got what it takes to be a BiaB'er. I'm sorry guys (and it's nobody's fault but my own), but I'm gonna have to seriously rethink this. I might be in the wrong arena.
Again, I'm very thankful but terribly frustrated. I've somehow got to find the time to get back to playing again because it seems like I'm spending more time at this computer keyboard than I did when I was a computer programmer!
Yes, I know I'll regret this post. I seem to have a talent for it these days.
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
Quote:
Vibes, the common MIDI sampler sounds just about identical to the real thing anyway. Not a hard thing for the MIDI standard to implement. Changing MIDI Vibes patch to other instruments that have a hard attack, such as Pianos, can work sometimes. Changing to horns can sometimes be problematic, but again, use of a better MIDi synth/sampler will often allow for us to get away with such. Check out the Ketron SD2 Orchestral Wizard.
Mac,
Sorry I didn't explain myself again ... I was giving you an example so I could learn how to do this. I'm not necessarily trying to change Vibes ... just an example instrument.
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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I take it that you did not purchase directly from the pgmusic website?
Deal only directly with pgmusic, they good people to deal with.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
Truthfully Mac, I didn't even know about BiaB until my ensemble buddies started kicking around the idea of small-gig performing and recording. I started researching for them because of my computer-ease. Needless to say, I started from the very bottom -- type it into a search engine and see what happens next.
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360
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Hi Ike, I can understand your frustration. As someone who has been there and worked through it, I'd like to say that Band in a Box is well worth the effort to learn. I found a great starting place were the video tutorials. Like you, I read and re-read the book. To watch someone show me on video, though, was much more productive because there is a great deal in the book that I didn't need to know about as a raw beginner. If you are interested, the videos are at this link. You will need to scroll down a bit. The one I started with was Band-in-a-Box Quick Start Tutorial. Don't worry that some of these videos are for earlier editions of BIAB as they are still relevant. The thing to keep in mind with BIAB is that it is primarily music accompaniment software and it does that extremely well. An awful lot of guys in these forums successfully use the program at live gigs as backing for solo work or for a small group. Hope it works out for you, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Yes, the pgmusic videos and video tutorials are great. I find that watching them more than once, over time, yields little gems missed in the last view. There is also a good source of info for BiaB users that is growing, this is the Band in a Box Wiki. http://bandinabox.wikia.com/wiki/Band_in_a_Box_Wiki Anyone using BiaB should have it bookmarked. --Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 589
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 589 |
Quote:
Yes, the pgmusic videos and video tutorials are great.
I find that watching them more than once, over time, yields little gems missed in the last view.
There is also a good source of info for BiaB users that is growing, this is the Band in a Box Wiki.
http://bandinabox.wikia.com/wiki/Band_in_a_Box_Wiki
Anyone using BiaB should have it bookmarked.
--Mac
Yikes!!you still look at the tutorials Mac so while I thought I was halfway there it seems Im just on the first page Frankie 
AMD Athlon 7550 dual core
processor 2.51 ghz
1 87 gb ram
windows 7 Ultimate
yamaha rev 500 effects
tacam DP-24 DAW
Samson Resolv NF monitors
Yamaha PSR-620 Keyboard
Fender semi accoustic guitar
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
"Learning to use Band in a Box is exactly like learning a musical instrument..."
Part of the fun is improving your skills daily.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
Thanks all!
I knew I'd seen somewhere on the site where this list of videos appeared, but my clunky mind wouldn't lead me back to it! Thank you for the post.
I think I had a 'vent' evening there. I knew after I'd got up the next morning that I must have needed some extra sleep or something. I'd like everyone here to know that this is unfortunately my style -- I don't mean anything personal and I think PG is a good company with good products -- I certainly wouldn't spend the time here that I do unless I was sure that BiaB was going to be a big hit with my little group here.
I do not want anyone to think I'm using this as an excuse but I would ask that my forum bud's here please take into consideration that I have a disability that does affect my thinking (and even my moods from time to time). I have a tendency to blurt before thinking -- family and friends can attest, I'm sure and I think God for their patience as well. Unfortunately for me (and you), I can type really fast and sometimes before the 'reasonable' side of my brain tells me to slow down and reconsider things ... by then it's too late and I've pushed 'Send' or completely forgot what I was typing 20 minutes ago.
I think BiaB is a fabulous product and I've had good success with PG and the forum. People here have a tremendous amount of patience -- especially with me. In fact, if it hadn't been for this forum, I'd likely be months behind in the 'curve' right now. By the way, for a newbie (and I've just only recently learned what that term meant), I sometimes can't understand what I'm reading because I'm new to the MIDI thing and clearly, most of you are expert here. That 'MIDI' thing is still pretty foreign to me.
I've just got to get others in my ensemble to take on some of the load so we can communicate with each other on the same level. I'm speaking BiaB 'ease' these days and my buddies haven't a clue where I'm coming from -- all of us old people here and it's not easy changing attitudes towards ANY technology, let alone something that will impact the very music they're playing. I have been interested in using BiaB since I first learned of it, unfortunately for me, all but one of my mates don't have the same inclination.
Unless I'm willing to take on the full load (learn everything myself and finance the whole thing to boot), I'll probably have negativity amongst the group until I can show them what it can do for us. We're a group of four (perhaps 5 or 6 later) and every one of us played pro at one time or another. In fact, we're pretty fortunate; One guy played routinely in Woody Herman's band and another in Bing Cosby's when he toured parts of South America. Problem is, back in those days, anything more than a toilet plunger was high-tech! Today I'm faced with knowing for myself what the PG stuff could do for us, but obviously I'm up against a few brick walls right now.
Thanks friends! Any help is appreciated.
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
Quote:
An awful lot of guys in these forums successfully use the program at live gigs as backing for solo work or for a small group.
Hi Noel!
Yes, this is just exactly what we / I would like to do with this. Some members of the group don't want to do anything beyond sticking a mouthpiece in, but I'm thinking that if I can get to a point where I can 'show' them exactly what it could do for us, THEN I think I can win some over.
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
Quote:
Yes, the pgmusic videos and video tutorials are great.
I find that watching them more than once, over time, yields little gems missed in the last view.
There is also a good source of info for BiaB users that is growing, this is the Band in a Box Wiki.
http://bandinabox.wikia.com/wiki/Band_in_a_Box_Wiki
Anyone using BiaB should have it bookmarked.
--Mac
Thanks for the new resource Mac! Wow, that's a nice thing to have. I'll dive into this for sure.
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
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