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(using UltraPlusPAK 2013)

I'm wondering if it's possible to add a percussion to a song that already has a drum track? For example, the ideal instrumentation on a song would be: Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, and Percussion.

Thanks!

Last edited by Skipster; 12/09/13 05:11 PM.

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This is easy to do in Real Band. Open your song in RB and you will see lots of tracks that can be used for additional percussion. You can use existing Real Drums tracks or record your own with Mics. Also go to ACTION > DRUM GRID EDITOR and learn what that does. I frequently use realband and the drum grid to enhance an existing Real Drums track with an extra bass kick or so.

Anytime you need to do something outside of what BiaB is designed for, try and see what you can do in Real Band. Many users start in BiaB to get a kind of sketch of the song, then port over to Real Band to do the fancy stuff. After you have worked with both programs for a while you will find a workflow that is good for you.

Last edited by flatfoot; 12/09/13 05:24 PM.

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Can be done using Audio Loops.

The 2014 version can handle more and different loops, but I pulled of some convincing additions as Percussion using the Loop feature in 2013.


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Thanks guys. I can't find anything in the Menus or toolbars labeled "Real Band" or "Audio Loops", though. What am I missing?

I ought to have added that I just got this one about a month ago and am still learning.


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RealBand is a separate, different program from BIAB. You should find a folder in the same place you installed /bb called /RealBand. RealBand is a free DAW (sequencer program) that reads BIAB files and gives you more than one audio track.

"audio loops" are called just plain "loops" in BIAB. Loops are audio files, hence the reference above.

Don't worry, you're doing fine. These were perfectly reasonable questions.

I also have a suggestion. BIAB allows you to put instruments on any track, not just the ones that are named what you want. In other words, go ahead and put a steel guitar on the strings track, or a trumpet on the piano track, etc. So, I'm pretty sure you can put a second RealDrum on the Soloist track, for example (will double-check that) and select just percussion for that second drum track. BIAB about a year ago put in some intelligence that, if you use two of the same instrument RealTrack, it will avoid duplication. It might work the same on RealDrums. Again, I need to try this to be sure.

EDIT: it will first appear you can only add RealTracks on the instruments other than drums, but in the RealTracks picker, click on the RD button.


Last edited by Matt Finley; 12/09/13 08:32 PM.

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I have went to the solo track and changed the midi channel to 10 and then you can write the part you want. it takes time you move the note to play the drum you want.

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Thanks guys! I'm going to sweat this and get back to you. Again, thank you.


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Originally Posted By: jt3
I have went to the solo track and changed the midi channel to 10 and then you can write the part you want. it takes time you move the note to play the drum you want.


MUCH FASTER METHOD:

After changing the Solo track to MIDI ch 10:

Rather than Note Entry one at a time, you can hit
Ctrl-Shift-D and open up the MIDI Drum Kit Window.

From there, you can either use the Mouse to hit pieces of the graphic percussion section in realtime and Record that as the song plays, you can also choose to use the QWERTY keys to hit those graphic drums, or even a MIDI keyboard.

And, you can get that Human Feel for them as well.

Great way to add MIDI Percussion to a BB songfile.


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Originally Posted By: Skipster
(using UltraPlusPAK 2013)

I'm wondering if it's possible to add a percussion to a song that already has a drum track? For example, the ideal instrumentation on a song would be: Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, and Percussion. Thanks!


Everyone is talking about MIDI but ...

I understand you to be asking: If there already is a R/T drum track, can another R/T be added under, let's say, strings?

And the answer is yes.
But I needed help from PGM support to tell me how to do it.
Sorry, I can't remember which song I did that on or how to do it.
I'd give Tech Support a call.

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Firstbassman, I gave the answer how to do this at the bottom of my post above.


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Matt,

I greatly value the contributions you make to this forum! Thank you very much.

I have tried to do what you said to do to add another RD on one of the other instruments in BIAB, but whenever I do (on either the Guitar or the Soloist tracks), the new RD simply replaces the previous RD choice. There must be something else to this or something I'm missing or doing wrong...I'd really like to be able to use two RD's at once without using Real Band if possible.

Thanks,
Jim


Jim
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Hi Jim,

Here's how I just now did it.

The RealDrums track can be exported by itself by RightClicking on the RealDrums trackname and selecting the command to "Save RealDrums as WAV File..."

So I did that. In the same folder as the bb songfile.

Then I visited that folder via Explorer and changed the name of the RealDrums WAV file to the exact same name as the bb file. The only difference is that the WAV file ends in .wav whereas the bb songfile will end in .sgu, .mgu or etc.

Changing the name of the wav file to the same name as the bb file means that bb will load that file onto the Audio track when the songfile is opened.

Back inside BB, I used the Open file command to open the same song again, and hit Play to generate the Realtracks.

Hit the Audio tab at the bottom of the Mixer to view the Audio VU meter.

Hit Play to generate the Realtracks again.

There should be movement on the Audio VU meter now, and there will be two identical RealTracks drums playing at the same time at this point, one on the Drums track and its twin on the Audio track. Hit the Solo buttons on each to see.

Now RightClick on the Drums track and select, "RealDrums in Song" and the RealDrums picker should open.

Select a RealDrum file other than the first one that matches Feel, Ev or Sw, plus tempo range and reasonable matching to the first one that's now on the Audio track.

Done deal.

Here is a link to the song I just used for this experiment, in mp3 format. The songfile was just randomly selected from the pgmusic RealTracks demo folder, the only thing I decided to do that wasn't exactly random was to pick one of the Latin demos from the 2013 bb just because I knew it would have Latin Percussion already on the Drums track and I figured that it would be easy to hear the difference between them and a trapset on the other.

I panned each hard L and hard R so that it would be easy for people to tell that there are indeed two different RealDrums files on this.

Traps&Percussion_insideBB_--Mac

Have Fun,


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Thanks, Mac. I wish it was simpler, but I'll try this.

Jim


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Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.

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Well, there may be another way that is easier, keep checking your thread here for a few.


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