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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Dec 2013
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Hi
I am trying to export a song from BIAB to a GM midi file for playing on an external hardware sound module (Roland BK7). It plays GM files so hopefully this should work.
However, when I export the song to midi it does not export the 'Real' bass and piano tracks. But it does export the 'Real' drums part.
So from a song that has the following
Real Bass
Real Piano (Chords)
Real Drums
Midi Strings
Midi Melody
I get a mid file that has
Midi Drums
Midi Piano (Melody)
Midi Strings
with no Bas or Piano (chords)
Is this as expected? Is BIAB not able to export real parts other than drums. I do hope this is not the case as I was really hoping to create my midi files using BIAB.
Any ideas please?
Thank you
Mark
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all...
BIAB 2019 Mac on a MacBook Pro. All paks & Styles.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Hi Mark,
This is correct behaviour. Realtracks are audio files and are not related to midi in any way. Midi provides a set of instructions to drive a synthesiser which then produces the sounds. Audio, on the other hand, is a digital recording of a live performance (or equivalent), just like a tape recorder. Those components of the MGU file that saved to midi were the midi-based tracks present in the MGU.
The above being said, if BIAB has notation present for a Realtrack, this can sometimes be used to create a good reproduction of the track since the notation has been assembled using midi information (following the creation of the Realtrack).
Again... give me a couple of days and I'll have a look at your file. I'll get back to you with a little more information shortly!
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 71
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OP
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Hi Noel again! So this seems to be a bit of a pattern, you helping me out  Thanks very much for any ideas you might have. Just to give some background to the point of all this. My Wife and I (she sings I play guitar) want to do some local low key gigs where taking rafts of gear is just not possible. So I have a midi sound module (Roland BK7M) and I want to drop in a USB stick with a small set of jazz standard backing tracks. Type of thing I am looking for is a gentle swing ballads (Misty, Stormy Weather etc), gentle Bossas (Meditation, Corcovado, Ipanema etc) and maybe some more uptempo Jazz Blues (Bless You, Why don't you do right etc..) I am not very good at the whole DAW midi editing thing. I can get by but I am very slow. So I was hoping to get BIAB to do most of the heavy lifting, squirt out a pretty close midi file that I can tweak a bit, load up in the Roland and away we go. Maybe I am dreaming... Thanks for your help Mark
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all...
BIAB 2019 Mac on a MacBook Pro. All paks & Styles.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Sounds to me like the easiest solution is to just use MIDI-only styles, which will always export out to a MIDI file. They won't sound the same as styles based on RealTracks (but neither would any MIDI representation of the RealStyle). If you have the UltraPlusPak or the EverythingPak, then you have tons of PGMusic created MIDI styles. And if along the way you might have purchased styles from Bob Norton, then you have even more to choose from. But even trying to play a MIDI representation of a RealTrack through a MIDI sound source is never going to sound like the original.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2003
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I thought only some of the realtracks can in fact export a MIDI file- if the specific RT has that capability, and the correct preference is set. Is there a list that shows this?
I know its possible, I did this on a tune- though the bass sounds funny- like too many notes or some CC's screwing up notes or something- I can't remember right now.
Last edited by Tonio; 09/12/16 02:00 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 71
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OP
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Sounds to me like the easiest solution is to just use MIDI-only styles, which will always export out to a MIDI file. They won't sound the same as styles based on RealTracks (but neither would any MIDI representation of the RealStyle).
Hi there Thanks for that. I guess that will be the way I go. My issue is finding decent jazz swing or Bossa rhythm midi that sounds half decent. I have listened to dozens of midi files from the net and the jazz drums/brushes range from not very good to awful. I realise getting a swing feel in a midi grid based edit system must be difficult, I certainly can't do it! But the part of the problem is that the 'drummer' on the midi tracks I have tried is way too busy; big long fills, way too many toms etc. As we are just a duo we want something open and laid back. Not too busy. Otherwise it sounds a bit karaoke. If anybody has some examples of or suggestion where I can get some decent laid back jazz swing/Bossa rhythms (happy to buy them) please let me know. Maybe some of the many BIAB midis fit the bill but auditioning them all would take another lifetime! The bass tends to be a lot easier and generally they sound ok. And really all we want is Bass and Drums, maybe some light strings but not essential. Thanks for the help Cheers Mark
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all...
BIAB 2019 Mac on a MacBook Pro. All paks & Styles.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 71
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OP
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Hi Tonio
Good point, it would be great if there was a list or at least some quick easy way to identify which of the real tracks have corresponding midi when selecting a style.
That way you can be sure of being able to save as a midi for further work in a DAW or to play in a sound module as GM (as we do) for example.
Hope PG is listening...
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all...
BIAB 2019 Mac on a MacBook Pro. All paks & Styles.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Feb 2014
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Hey All,
Some of the RealTracks have been manually transcribed to have MIDI notation. There is a column in the RealTracks picker window that indicates whether a RealTrack has been transcribed, it's the Nt column on Mac. GT indicates the track has guitar tablature and notation, while an N will indicate just notation. Any RealTrack that has one of these symbols can export the relevant MIDI notes. You can also quickly check if your current RealTracks have notation available by looking at the list of tracks along the top of Band-in-a-Box. RealTracks with a long green underline with have tab and notation, a short underline means only notation. Keep in mind that these are mostly for chart purposes, the MIDI notes won't have velocity adjustments so the playing won't be as dynamic as with the RealTrack.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 63
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good to know about RT picker GT / N category ,thanks Kallum !!
Thought I read something to that effect about the underline.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 71
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OP
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Thanks for the info Callum, that will help.
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all...
BIAB 2019 Mac on a MacBook Pro. All paks & Styles.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Don't forget about the Supertracks!! These are all midi but with lots more of that 'human touch' goodness of the Realtracks, since they were all designed AND performed by hand by a musician.
Also, making sure all the "RealCharts" options (in the Realtrack preferences dialogue) are CHECKED seems to greatly increase your chances of getting some midi outputted from the Realtrack channels/instruments.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BBox 2022 Audiophile, Mac Pro Intel, OSX 10.6.8, 800x600 (TV VGA)
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