After BB 2021 version when loading a session with mp3 files as audio, BB don’t creates automatically a .wav file like it use to do! So each time it has to do the conversion again.And now with the multi audio tracks that takes quite a lot of time.
Is there gonna be a solution for this? BB 2020 was able to do this for a single audio file.'
After BB 2021 version when loading a session with mp3 files as audio, BB don’t creates automatically a .wav file like it use to do! So each time it has to do the conversion again.And now with the multi audio tracks that takes quite a lot of time.
Is there gonna be a solution for this? BB 2020 was able to do this for a single audio file.' Best Regards! Stelios Panos
You mentioned: "BB don’t creates automatically a .wav file like it use to do" Could you detail the exact step-by-step procedures you took previously that resulted in the automatic generation of the .WAV file? This may help someone to attempt to reproduce and identify where any issue might stem from.
Also, please identify exactly what version of 2021 you are running and what version of 2020 you were running (what build / release value?)
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I use BB 2022 with the latest update on Mac & Win!
To imitate the issue,
1: Use a BB session with an Audio track or create one.
2: Convert Audio track to mp3 (I do this outside BiaB), and replace the Wav Audio file,(delete wav file after conversion).
3: Open the session with the mp3 audio with BB 2022, it will convert the audio to wav but it will not create a wav file with the same name at the song directory.
4. Create a new folder and "save as" the session as a new file, it save only the .mgu file and no audio at all.
5: Open the Song/session with the mp3 with BB 2020, and it will create automatically a wav file in the song directory (folder), for use in the next time that you will open the song.
1: Use a BB session with an Audio track or create one.
2: Convert Audio track to mp3 (I do this outside BiaB), and replace the Wav Audio file,(delete wav file after conversion).
3: Open the session with the mp3 audio with BB 2022, it will convert the audio to wav but it will not create a wav file with the same name at the song directory.
4. Create a new folder and "save as" the session as a new file, it save only the .mgu file and no audio at all.
For 2: You specifically mention "Convert Audio track to mp3 (I do this outside BiaB)"
- When you create the WAV file with a separate program, it should surely advise the name/location of the file.
- Question: Why delete the WAV file then expect BiaB re-create it from the MP3?
You mentioned:
Quote:
3: Open the session with the mp3 audio with BB 2022, it will convert the audio to wav but it will not create a wav file with the same name at the song directory.
Question: What are the exact steps to "Open the session with the mp3 audio" Exactly what do you select to achieve this?
#: You appear to indicate that it converts the audio to wav but not in song directory or will not allow the song name to be used. So, where does it actually create the wav file, or is there already a file with the same name in that directory?
'Save' / 'Save As' probably are only designed to save BiaB file formats. Does 'Save Special' achieve what you want?
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Thanks for answering back, please forget all the thinking that you are into and let me explain you.
For size reasons we use to convert the .wav audio file of a song to mp3 files for BiaB Win, and Mpeg4 for BiaB Mac. Then when you open the session BB was automatically creating a single file with the same name, as .wav so it will open faster with no conversion the next time, because BB was and it still uses .wav files, (there was no ability to have more than one audio file before BB2021).
Now If you have a Record with 10 songs and the average session contains let's say 10 audio files, (because after 2021 BiaB we can do that), and you want to upload so someone can download and use, I think it will be reasonable to convert the audio to Mp3 so you will save space.
So here we come to the issue, when someone will download the Songs and import into BB, BB will convert them and it will take a while, (depends on the Computer and disk speed), you see it's a conversion to wav.
So it convert them to .wav but doesn't save them anywhere for the next opening of the song, and each time you will open the song it has to do the conversion again and double or triple the opening time.(if the Comp is old and there are 16 audio files of 5 minutes each you can go for coffee:)
Of course it saves you space by not creating the Wav files, but I prefer fast openings.
I solve this by converting manually the mp3 audio files to Wav with an audio convertor.
The question for the BB Crew is where it saves the temporary .wav files? And why is deleting them and not keeping them with the same name as wav so to use in the next session like it use to do (with a single audio).
And here a big thanks to the BB Crew, after working intensively almost a Year with BB 2021/22, my impressions are excellent, BiaB really Rocks know and I can't wait to see what's coming up.
I use BB 2022 with the latest update on Mac & Win!
To imitate the issue,
1: Use a BB session with an Audio track or create one.
2: Convert Audio track to mp3 (I do this outside BiaB), and replace the Wav Audio file,(delete wav file after conversion).
3: Open the session with the mp3 audio with BB 2022, it will convert the audio to wav but it will not create a wav file with the same name at the song directory.
4. Create a new folder and "save as" the session as a new file, it save only the .mgu file and no audio at all.
5: Open the Song/session with the mp3 with BB 2020, and it will create automatically a wav file in the song directory (folder), for use in the next time that you will open the song.
Thanks!
<<"For size reasons we use to convert the .wav audio file of a song to mp3 files for BiaB Win, and Mpeg4 for BiaB Mac. Then when you open the session BB was automatically creating a single file with the same name, as .wav so it will open faster with no conversion the next time, because BB was and it still uses .wav files, (there was no ability to have more than one audio file before BB2021).">>
I may can provide you some information that will resolve your issue and streamline your process.
First, not having the ability to have more than one audio file before 2021 is incorrect. There can be more than one audio track in BIAB. In fact, 10 audio files is no problem for BIAB with both Win and Mac versions all the way back to Win/Mac versions 2015.
While the BIAB Mixer has only one Audio Track, that track can be used over and over as many times as needed. This is because of all the different media formats that can be loaded by a BIAB Mixer Legacy Track. The BIAB Mixer Tracks can load Midi, SuperMidi, Loops, RealTracks or recorded Audio. Prior to 2021 and the introduction of Utility Tracks, BIAB only had the seven Legacy Tracks (Bass,Piano,Drums,Guitar,Strings,Melody,Soloist and Audio ) BIAB uses a feature called the Artist Performance File to convert and move audio files onto the other Legacy Tracks. The Artist Performance File also saves the audio and name's the audio file with the song project.
So as to not take this thread off topic about the past, only to explain that this process is still available and even with Utility Tracks available, audio files can still be imported or recorded into the BIAB Mixer, loaded and saved to open every time the BIAB SGU file is opened in the future. PG Music has a folder with over 50 demos recorded with vocals and backing tracks demonstrating this feature. Yes, they use the Utility Tracks but it isn't necessary.
But to your issue:
01. Create or import an audio track on any BIAB Mixer track 02. Save the project into any known location 03. Right Click with mouse on the track with audio 04. From the drop down menu, select Track Actions 05. From the Track Actions drop down menu, select Save Track as Performance File (wav\m4a)
This action saves the audio into the same folder as the SGU project, names the file and BIAB will open with that file loaded and synced on that track whenever the file is opened in the future.
PG Music has chosen to change the compressed format from MP3 to the M4a format but that can be converted to MP3 if desired.
This is not logical, you mean that you have to convert manually each file and rename, so someone with ten songs and 100 files has a lot to do!
The shortcut to this is to convert with an audio converter, which will do a batch process and will keep the names so you don’t have to rename. I already did this and that’s how I will recommend to do with MP3’s .
But I was hoping that BB will work like it use to with auto creation of wav files.
As for mp3 I have noticed that it opens in both Mac and Win!
<<" This is not logical, you mean that you have to convert manually each file and rename, so someone with ten songs and 100 files has a lot to do!" >>
No. My reply was in reference to the five steps you listed to replicate your issue that has no mention of 10 songs and 100 files.
In short, the five steps you detail above can be done manually in two steps in BIAB if the program is not doing it automatically when you save the project. Now, with the further details you posted, I'm not following your process. It appears you say you're importing 10 audio files into a single BIAB project. If that's the case, then yes, BIAB can do that.
However, earlier I followed your five steps exactly as you've written them out and using my 2022 version of BIAB for Windows, when I save the BIAB song file, it also creates and saves a WAV file for that project in the folder so I don't have to manually do anything like I explained in my earlier post. I don't have to create and save a Wav file because in testing your issue with my BIAB program, 2022 does create and save a wav file.
I don't see anything in your process different from what I've done with the exception that when I save a BIAB song file with an audio track, it saves as an SGU extension not MGU like you indicate your files do. That normally only means there's a melody included in the project and that should not make a difference in the WAV file being saved. I've also imported several audio files into a project and BIAB creates wav's for each track so far.
I'm happy to test any steps further if it will help.
<1: Use a BB session with an Audio track or create one.>
I began with a new BB session and used F3 open command to open a WAV file onto the audio channel. There was no chord progression and default MIDI style ZZJAZZ.sty was the style.
<2: Convert Audio track to mp3 (I do this outside BiaB), and replace the Wav Audio file,(delete wav file after conversion).>
I converted the audio track file to MP3 using the drop box MP3 grid in BIAB. I exported the MP3 to my desktop and erased the wav file from the Audio Track and closed BB.
<3: Open the session with the mp3 audio with BB 2022, it will convert the audio to wav but it will not create a wav file with the same name at the song directory.>
I opened a new BB session (no SGU file has been saved to this point in the process.) I used the File |Open audio MP3 command to load the saved MP3 from my desktop onto the Audio Track.
<4. Create a new folder and "save as" the session as a new file, it save only the .mgu file and no audio at all.>
I created a folder (New Folder) on my desktop and did a "save as" for the current section as a new file "Untitled Song" in the New Folder and the BB project was saved as Untitled Song.SGU and a wav file named Untitled Song.wav was also saved.
< 5: Open the Song/session with the mp3 with BB 2020, and it will create automatically a wav file in the song directory (folder), for use in the next time that you will open the song.>
Save the session with the wav file and then convert the wav to mp3 delete the wav and open the session. That’s the procedure, not importing manually the mp3.
I have describe the scenario of songs with wav files replaced with mp3 for size issue.
If you still don’t understand I will attach a session tomorrow!
Try to save the new Untitled .sgu session, to a new folder. Create a new folder name it Untitled 2.sgu and do a “Save As” copy in there. At my case it saves only the .sgu and no audio at all.
Also if you look into the Untitled.sgu folder you will see only one audio mp3 file and no wav, where is the converted wav?
It opens fast because your testing mp3 it’s probably small. Imagine 16 utility tracks of 5 minutes song!
I created a new session with an audio file. I repeated all the steps from my earlier test with the result of two files in a New Folder.
As you requested, then I attempted to 'Save As' this BIAB Untitled.sgu session into another folder.
I created New Folder(2) on my desktop.
I did a 'Save As' to the Untitled.sgu session to the New Folder(2)
In my test, both the sgu session and a wav file were saved into the New Folder(2)
Note that in both 'Save As' tasks, although the current active session audio originated from an MP3 file, both 'Save As' processes saved the audio as wav files. The original audio MP3 file remains intact in its original location. In both saved sessions, I would have to convert those wav files into MP3 files to save space.
EDIt: << It opens fast because your testing mp3 it’s probably small. >>
No. BIAB only converts the MP3 with the first file open. After a 'save as', there after, the BIAB session opens the saved wav file instantly.
If after a 'save as' to a known folder directory, the folder location should have two files with the same name and on being a SGU/MGU BIAB session and the other file should be a .wav extension. Even if the original MP3 audio file is in the same directory, BIAB defaults to the wav file to open.
If this isn't happening, I suggest you do a Return to Factory setting reset. This is found in the Options menu.
Charlie
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 09/30/2203:25 AM. Reason: Update added
As an additional test I opened a PG Music demo file with 3 tracks of audio vocals and added 4 additional audio files. I created a New Folder from the 'save as' dialog window and saved the session. All seven audio tracks were automatically saved into the folder.
If the Return to factory settings doesn't correct the issue with your system, you may need to contact PG staff or use Chat. It doesn't appear there's a bug in the 'save as' feature in 2022. There may be a bug and I'm fortunate not to have it because we may be on different builds. The issue certainly needs to be resolved. Again, I'll be happy to test anything I can for you and I'd also be interested in the details of your workflow.
<< It opens fast because your testing mp3 it’s probably small. >>
No. BIAB only converts the MP3 with the first file open. After a 'save as', there after, the BIAB session opens the saved wav file instantly.
If after a 'save as' to a known folder directory, the folder location should have two files with the same name and on being a SGU/MGU BIAB session and the other file should be a .wav extension. Even if the original MP3 audio file is in the same directory, BIAB defaults to the wav file to open.
If this isn't happening, I suggest you do a Return to Factory setting reset. This is found in the Options menu.
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