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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 63
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 63 |
Hi: A little while ago I started using BIAB 2013. Beginning with simple things I have been learning from the manual, from video tutorials and from reading back across this forum when I hit a brick wall. Nothing better to help learn from than being stopped-dead by something  . I've usually found what I needed to learn, or been able to work it out. At fist it was easiest for me to write songs/chords out in linear form, then later I discovered the song-form facility to designate ABC sections and organise verse/chorus structure in to forms like ABAAC or whatever. As a result I'm now getting a little more capable/ambitious which is good, but I'm running in to repeat-type requirements that ABC options can't always produce. As well, I'm hitting the 256-bar limit anyway because for some the auto-extended song-form becomes too long. I am at the point where I need to know more about repeats etc, how to set them and how to use tags to bounce around a little more. I have actually spent a heap of hours across the last week just trying to find sections in the tutorial vids that deal with repeats/codas/tags etc., but I am obviously missing where I need to be looking. I've found references in the manual's index, but to be honest that's far from the easiest thing to learn from and I have yet to narrow anything down from there. So could someone knowledgeable about these things please point me towards where I can find information that will help ... I want to use the following as my learning-curve example: Right now I have written out the chords for intro(I), first verse(V) and first chorus(C) of a song. The structure I need to achieve is IVCVCVVVVVVCC. I could start writing it out in linear form just by copy/pasting the repeated sections, but that actually runs to 286 bars once I add the ending to it, so is a no-go anyway. I did use the song-form facility and made ABC designations just to see if that overrode anything, however when generating the result BIAB didn't like me very much and froze, presumably because of being asked to do some processing that took it over 256 bars. In any event however I have all the sections written down and filling just 56 bars, and I know that by inserting repeats and go-backs etc somehow at the appropriate points it will all play-through in the sequence/structure I want without the need for repeated entries ... Can someone please point me to where I need to go to see a step-by-step of what I have to do to divide the sections and have them play how I want? I have got as far as understanding that I can put a x2 repeat after the chorus to get me to the "IVCVC" point, but I can't figure out how to then have it go on and play six more verses then two final choruses ... If you can set me off in the right direction I'd be really grateful, thanks!
Last edited by hannay; 08/12/13 08:45 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
Since you are not far over the 255 bar limit, repeat the verse five times in the middle there. Use the three numbers: bar to begin chorus, bar to end chorus, and number of repeats = 5. Then add the two final choruses in a tag. That should do it.
Another possibility is to move the song into RealBand, where you don't have that limit.
Another possibility in the newest version of BIAB is to specify sections to create the song form. I'm not at the PC now to give the instruction but someone will help.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 63
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 63 |
Hello Matt, and thank you. I did previously try the songform approach as I'm familiar enough with how to use that. It seemed perfect for assembling a longer piece from repeated sections, however when then generating the revised form after nominating the relevant sections in order it still goes to the 286 bars - or at least wants to but falls over of course being 255+. That's why I think I should now get to grips with tags and repeats etc! Thanks for the common-sense input ... yes I can see that writing it out in linear form until the 6 consecutive verses would be a way to slim it down ... just organise a suitable number of repeats at that point. Not sure about tagging the last two choruses however ... I haven't used tags at all so don't know what's involved ... as I said, new to this. Some reading/searching for me this evening I see Thanks again!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
Click on the little icon labelled S (for song settings). Tags are easier than people think. Just click that Tag Exists and specify the bar it starts after and the bar it ends on.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 63
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 63 |
I'll explore that and see how I get on ... reading up on it right now via FAQs etc Thanks for the pointers, getting to grips and actually doing things is really the only effective way to learn about them. PS followed your link to your 2.5 min preview ... very nice!
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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