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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I know from my previous post up here that in order to figure out how to do something basic, I need to go through the tutorials. I did this and was unable to find the answer. I am trying to find out how to enter the key signature in a regular notation window. I tried searching on Enter Key Signature. I found out that I can chage the Key signature by pressing F5 and then Change Key Signature. This will put the key signature in any bar I want. But I want to set the key signature for the entire song. Where do I do THAT?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Good, you found the harder one, the F5. Here's the easier one:
The key signature for the song is set by the little box on the Chordsheet (BIAB main screen) directly to the left of the Tempo, underneath the Song Title.
Click on the tiny arrow to the right of the default value of "C" and you'll see a pulldown to select the key signature, including minor keys.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Matt thanks for the response. I usually use that buitton when i want to change the chords, not set the chord signature. But it worked. When it asked if I wanted to transpose, I said no. BTW, I am very interested in hearing Brazillian Wish. I play in a practice group down in midtown and we are playing mostly bossa, right now. Thanks again for the info. BTW, how did you learn so much about BIAB? To me, it is one of the most difficult UI's I have ever seen.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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The very first thing you should do when entering a song is set the key signature.
And then choose a style that is close, so you need to decide on swing (sw) or even (ev-straight) and tempo aprox.
If you start entering a waltz in 4/4 timing it would be messy.
Once done, if you need to change the key always answer yes to transpose. Otherwise it gets very odd, very quick.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Glad you got it, wooliewillie. John also made some good points, further proof that there are many users on this forum who know the program well (or at least, parts of it, like I do). I've been using it almost every day since 1993 or so. The user interface grows on you the more you work with it. Thanks for the kind comment on my CD. You can hear longer excerpts of each tune on my website, here: http://www.mattfinley.com/audio.htm
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks. I am writing the melody to my first song in BIAB. Is there some section of the manual that deals with how to work with editable notation mode? Every time I press play to hear how the few notes I have added sound, the play starts from bar 1, not the bar where I am working which is bar 6. I also thought that I would like to copy a bunch of notes to a later bar but don't seem to be able to use the Windows standard of mark, copy, paste.
Last edited by wooliewillie; 02/25/11 10:25 PM.
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Well, by design, each time you press Play, you regenerate the song and start at the beginning.
You can start at a particular bar in several ways:
Put your cursor on the cell you want to begin with, and press the Spacebar. Note: check that this is the setting for spacebar in Opt., Preferences.
or
Double-click on a cell.
or
Right-click on a cell, and select a Play From choice.
For the second question, go to Edit, Copy From .. To and select the appropriate boxes and settings.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Matt, you have been very helpful. I guess the things I am asking are so basic, yet very hard to find (at least for me). One last question that I think will be a very easy one particularly for you. I have finished transcribing "More Than This" which is in Ab (4 flats). We have a trumpet playing with us so I need to convert the whole score for a Bb instrument. How would I do this in an easy way? The song is in Ab for C instruments; how to I make a score for the trumpet?
Also, I have been listening to Brazilian Wish on your site. What is the connection with BIAB? ASre you saying that BIAB is playing somehow on those recordings?
Last edited by wooliewillie; 02/26/11 07:00 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks Mac. I knew there had to be some easy way to do this! I don't understand part of the instructs, so I posted an additional question up on the quoted post.
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I wanted to let you guys know that I solved my problem re: my score was totally screwed up. It seems that the Options, Transpose Options is a global setting for BIAB, not per song. By that was scarry. Is there any way of telling if control choices (and there are hundreds) are for the current song or are for global settings of BIAB?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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At one point, there was a yellow box warning that was shown on program boot-up when a global transposition was in effect. As far as I can tell, that warning no longer exists.
You do have to keep things straight when you work with transposing. You are correct about the "totally screwed up" part, or what John brilliantly called "very odd, very quick". I perform with transposing instruments of four different keys, so things can get complicated.
Several of us have different housekeeping methods. My preference is to remember to ALWAYS return to concert pitch before saving and exiting the program. Others put the key at the end of the song name, or use different folders to save songs for each instrument, etc. There are a few threads on this, but they are probably earlier than the forum search function will find.
[To answer your earlier question: I use BIAB to compose all my songs, but Brazilian Wish was recorded in several studios with only real/live musicians. Also, it was done in 2005, long before RealTracks or even RealDrums existed.]
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
Others put the key at the end of the song name, or use different folders to save songs for each instrument, etc. There are a few threads on this, but they are probably earlier than the forum search function will find.
That is exactly what I was doing. I transposed a copy for a Bb instrument, saved it with the name with Bb at the end. Then opened the original one in C. But it was now all screwed up. I saved it also. It seems that the Bb didn't stay with the song that was in Bb. Instead it was a global setting. There something that is just non-standard about the BIAB UI. All windows programs work in a certain way and there are standards on how things should work, logically, (at least there use to be). Not that it really matters to those of you who have mastered the interface.
I actually live in the lower Hudson Valley and am interested in learning BIAB the right way. Are there any courses in it given anywhere in the area?
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