I’m using BiaB 2026 and I want to audition drums from Midi styles. Using a Utility track I want it to hold a drum sequence from one of the Midi tracks, but I can’t seem to be able to do this.
Hi jonel, Here is how I did it, there may be an easier way because I do this in my DAW: 1-open two different versions of BiaB - setting in preference menu 2-BiaB1 is you main version. Have an utility track open, i.e. showing 3-BiaB2 is your trial version. Search for styles with MIDI drum tracks here 4-When you find one drag the drum track to the mid window in the drag and drop window and go into the drag and drop mode 5-drag the + window into BiaB1's utility track. Note that I had to delete the BiaB2 to get BiaB1 to play and I had to mute the original drum track. I did this on my Win 11 machine.
If you need help later today I can include pics. I hope this helps
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I am very surprised that a 30+ year old software, that was MIDI only for most of it's life doesn't have proper way of handling / auditioning MIDI loops and clips (Including drums) 3rd party or in-house. Strange that nobody pushed for this obvious feature in the past.
Hi jonel, Here is how I did it, there may be an easier way because I do this in my DAW: 1-open two different versions of BiaB - setting in preference menu 2-BiaB1 is you main version. Have an utility track open, i.e. showing 3-BiaB2 is your trial version. Search for styles with MIDI drum tracks here 4-When you find one drag the drum track to the mid window in the drag and drop window and go into the drag and drop mode 5-drag the + window into BiaB1's utility track. Note that I had to delete the BiaB2 to get BiaB1 to play and I had to mute the original drum track. I did this on my Win 11 machine.
If you need help later today I can include pics. I hope this helps
That's a great approach, Mario! I have not thought about using two instances of BIAB. I like it.
As I understand it (and I may be wrong)... The thing with BIAB MIDI drums (and instruments) is that they are not loops in today's sense of the word. They are MIDI instructions that are derived from generating a track from the various 2-bar rhythm patterns that have been created and weighted in Stylemaker (i.e. the percentage likelihood of a particular pattern occurring). This weighting of different patterns for a particular instrument in a particular style is why the MIDI tracks in BIAB have a slightly different arrangement each time they are generated. This is to try and replicate a live performance where notes vary from performance to performance. It is unlike a loop that involves strict repetition of a musical phrase over and over.
Jonel, just one other thing to keep in mind is if the drums are not working, double check that the Utility track is set to MIDI channel 10 as this is the MIDI channel that accesses the MIDI drums.
"That's a great approach" The approach is horrible. A twisted, archaic and totally unintuitive workaround.
Mario, I know you gave your best. This is not aimed at your generous help, but I reserve the right to check sanity of the current process.
Perhaps we got what we got, because people were too "forgiving", praising things that needed to be addressed properly instead of offering possible solutions and holding back on much needed critique.
P.S. Noel, I believe you are confusing MIDI vs Super Midi.
"That's a great approach" The approach is horrible. A twisted, archaic and totally unintuitive workaround.
Mario, I know you gave your best. This is not aimed at your generous help, but I reserve the right to check sanity of the current process.
Perhaps we got what we got, because people were too "forgiving", praising things that needed to be addressed properly instead of offering possible solutions and holding back on much needed critique.
P.S. Noel, I believe you are confusing MIDI vs Super Midi.
Misha my friend, I agree with you. It is another horrible workaround that, like you indicated, should have been corrected decades ago. I was just trying to help the OP get the job done today.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I thank you all immensely for your very helpful replies. I've been confused by this topic a lot and didn't realise there were such underlying issues other than my own amateur working with the software. Where I do have experience though, is software development. I know that BiaB’s beginnings were simply to accompany the artist, like it says "Band in a Box". But over the years the software has morphed further into DAW territory, for which it had no foundation. Trying modify software like this and still keep all the original features is a feat that most would shy away from. I still think it is a fantastic product for its original purpose: The drag and drop feature has been the saviour for me. My workaround for this particular problem was to find the Midi track and drag it to Ableton, process it in Ableton if necessary and then bring it back on to Utility track.
Drums and loops have always seemed to work somewhat outside of the normal BIAB and are more restricted than other instruments in my experience. It appears you are having to post-edit (DAW) rather than generate (BIAB). I believe Noel is correct that midi drums and loops in BIAB "try and replicate a live performance where notes vary from performance to performance. It is unlike a loop that involves strict repetition of a musical phrase over and over."
That said, my thought is there may be other alternatives within BIAB that will accomplish the task with a clearer understanding of the steps you are currently taking to get the tracks you want. I'm curious to know more about what you're doing.
Why can BIAB2 search for midi drum styles and BIAB1 can't? How are you auditioning BIAB drum tracks in your DAW? What is your processing sequence when you drag it into Ableton? Do you import your Ableton track back into your BIAB project as midi or audio?
Mario, You are amazing at helping people here, and I know we are on the same page on this. ----------------------- However OP and other two members vividly proved the point I was trying to convey. Instead of using common sense critique, or even reading my proposal in wishlist (I am not even talking about supporting it), talk continues about liking the software and "how difficult" it would be doing this and that, or "finding" other "methods" that are not remotely close to something that a user would expect in 2026.
Ok Jonel here goes. BIAB, from the conception used a similar approach as with all other arrangers that "followed" chords. MIDI styles. That was / is the heart of BIAB. That was 30+ years ago... The engine to handle MIDI the way it does is in place. Not being able to import, export, audition, edit these proper way is nonsense. It has nothing to do with DAW. These are basic arranger functions. As far as I know, most physical arranger keyboards and modules from 90s, even some $99 ones allowed to modify import/export/copy/edit style parts. In a second quarter of 21st century this should not be even asked for.
Having said that, BIAB's new UI was a major step forward, so as a few other big features that were done in the past few years. That shows, contrary to some (conservative) remarks and pushbacks that BIAB can be transformed to a significantly better software. I can complete 65-80% of the tune now in BIAB compared to about 40% about 4 years ago. The time is ripe do things that relate to user experience, items as original OP post for example, among with about two-three dozen of other highly requested workflow enchantments. Reducing unneeded complexities to minimum.
Hi Charlie, I am not using two instances of BiaB and I am working entirely in Midi. I don't find that I can use BiaB to search for styles that have a Midi drum track.
I identify a particular drum track from a selected style that suits my purpose. Once I have the track I want I then disable Realdrums in BiaB. This will result in original Midi track for drums. The midi track can be inspected in the Piano roll and if Channel 10 is selected I can confirm the mapping of the drums (GM). The midi is dragged on to an Ableton track on wich is a GM mapped drum kit. This will allow the audition of the drums. I can now edit the midi and save it in midi, if necessary (for re-importing into BiaB, but this is not the intention.
My original question was to ask how others are working with BiaB midi drum to achieve a similar reult.
Hi Jonel. In earlier versions of BIAB there was a Dialog Window specifically to do what you want. After recent upgrades the feature has been moved into the MultiPicker Library Window using the Midi Tracks Tab. You can filter to Midi Only Search and set the search parameters for the project style in order to reduce the hits to just midi styles similar to your project. Users can use this to search and audition from BIAB for any midi instrument track from a style.
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