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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 24
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Posts: 24 |
I've programmed in a few songs in BIAB now that have stop passages...I figured out how to do the rests, but the song sounds pretty abrupt and mechanical when the instruments come in after that. I'd like to get a bit of a drum fill just before that, as many drummers would do, to lead back to the song. Not too much, perhaps on the last beat of the stop passage, or even on the "and" of that last beat. It would also be nice to have a cymbal hit "hang over" at the beginning of the stop passage, again as might happen in a real combo...at this point I'm just having the entire "band" stop on the first beat of the stop passage, and it does sound kind of robotic. Can't seem to find any info on something like that in the manual...any ideas, folks? Thanks!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
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The blue and green (might be other colors for multistyles) Part Markers also force drum fills.
Blue is A substyle and Green is B substyle.
To force a drum fill only and not change substyle at the same time, simply click on the bar number AFTER the bar where you want to have a drum fill in transition.
Click once for Blue, which, if you are in A substyle as identified by a Blue block somewhere before it, you will get the Drum fill without changing substyle.
Likewise, if the one before it is Green, click again to turn it from Blue to Green.
The way to undo these is so simple that it has eluded some -- just click again and again until there is no color block over the number and its is undone.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 24
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OP
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 24 |
Thanks! That works great, but during the "stop passage" the instruments are muted (what I did was type "G,G." to have a hit on the first beat of the measure and then a rest, and let the rest continue for that measure and the next, and on the measure after that I put in the next chord). So I guess it's muting the drums as well. Could I mute all the other instruments but the drums for that one measure? That would seem to work if I could. Then I'd have that drum lead-in!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 24
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 24 |
By the way, putting that substyle part marker on the 1st measure of the break gives a nice fill that ends with a cymbal hit that hangs over the break, just what I was thinking of! Thanks!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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Quote:
Thanks! That works great, but during the "stop passage" the instruments are muted (what I did was type "G,G." to have a hit on the first beat of the measure and then a rest, and let the rest continue for that measure and the next, and on the measure after that I put in the next chord). So I guess it's muting the drums as well. Could I mute all the other instruments but the drums for that one measure? That would seem to work if I could. Then I'd have that drum lead-in!
Those period "shortcuts" aren't good for the noob.
Instead, RightClick on the chord in question and choose "Chord Settings".
Check out all the possible Rest combinations available on the lower RH side of the little window that opens. You can choose to Rest All Instruments but Drums if you like.
While you are there, take the time to check out all the other options in that window, like the ability to pick all 4 chords in a bar from right there at the top, the ability to PUSH a chord or HOLD a chord (HOLDs only supported on MIDI tracks right now, cannot Hold a RealTrack yet).
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 24
Enthusiast
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OP
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 24 |
Wow, thanks a lot! The "Shot" and "Mute All Except" functions get me exactly where I was trying to go in this instance, but I can see that there's many more powerful functions in that window.
I'm trying to carve out an hour a day to get through the manual and the tutorials for BIAB, but I can tell there's a lot more going on here. It's a very deep program, or it seems to be to me. Pretty exciting, and lots of fun as well!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
A good way to learn a lot of things about BIAB is to spend some time going through the pgmusic demo folders, loading songs and examining them as they play back.
You will hear these kind of things as well as see the various indicators of them on the Chord Grid.
You can also get great ideas on layout, how to make certain things happen -- and even find some things possible that you may not have thought possible by doing this.
--Mac
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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