Originally Posted By: Mac
The Imported MIDI file very likely has Continuos Controller data imbedded in it, like maybe CC7 Volume or other commands that were used to make the MIDI file sound right.

Band in a Box uses those same MIDI CC commands to control the Volume of BB Tracks.

You can take a look at the MIDI commands using the MIDI Event List.

I would first open the raw MIDI file in Realband, then use its editor to strip out all of those CC's, then Export the result as a Standard MIDI file and then replace the MIDI file imported into biab with the stripped file.

This is not a program bug at all.

And, you did not mention this MIDI file until now. That missing info can lead things far away from help or understanding.

--Mac



Mac, you are quite right, I really should have mentioned at the outset that the problem is occurring within a song from which the chords come from the File / Interpret Chord from Midi file command.

I hadn't foreseen that that would matter but yes, I should have clarified from the start. I apologize for any time I might have wasted.

(GuitarHacker – before I move onto RealBand, I want to see if this can be fixed in BiB).

Taking your advice, Mac, I cleaned out all the midi controller data (not in RealBand, but with another midi editor), and imported it using the File / Interpret Chord from Midi file command.

This did not fix the problem, unfortunately. The result is the same as before.

Let me back up and be very explicit about the setup, objective, things tried, and results.

[But before I do, perhaps as a shortcut to an at least interim BiB solution – is there some changeable setting somewhere, which might currently be telling the pedal steel to play just in the first bar?]

Setup and objective

I have an existing performance which I want BiB to help me generate accompaniment to.

The performance exists in three formats

File a): the original midi recording, including velocity and expression midi controller data

File b): a midi version of File a) with the controller data purged.

File c) a pre-recorded audio File – i.e., a rendering of File a) by a nice VST. This syncs up perfectly on playback with File a) ( or File b) for that matter).

I wish to use BiB to generate accompaniment using the RealStyle CBALAD1.STY. Slow Ctry Bal w PedSteel (65 RS), of which I have all necessary RealTracks, i.e.,

RD: NASHVILLEEVEN16^5-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride :Brian Fullen
RT366: Bass, Electric, Country Ev 065, Dow Tomlin
RT364: Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 065, Jason Roller
RT368: Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 065, Jason Roller
RT369: Pedal Steel, Background Ev 065, Steve Hinson

Since I saw your post, I have now tried to make the accompaniment three ways, as follows:

Attempt 1

--I create a new BiB File
--I set the key, tempo and time signature to match File a)
– I Import File a) via the File/Interpret Chord from Midi File command.
– I deselect that command's options to “Include continuous controllers and pitch bend” data and to “Include Patch changes”.
– It reports 61 chords successfully interpreted. All are correct.
– I Import File c) , using the File / Import Audio command, for monitoring.
– I select the RealStyle and press PlayGen.

The result is that the song plays every one of these RealTracks styles well – i.e., they sync to and accompany the audio coherently, sometimes beautifully, throughout the song – except the pedal steel, which only plays a few introductory notes.

This is a shame as I am specifically after pedal steel.

Attempt 2

Same method as Attempt 1, except that instead of File a), I import File b) – that is, the midi file without the controller data. Results are the same as Attempt 1.

Attempt 3

Same method as Attempt 1 or Attempt 2, except that instead of importing a midi file for chord recognition, I manually enter the chords.

I thought this would solve it, but it doesn't.

The result is that all components of the RealStyle, including the pedal steel, do play – *but * they sound horrible when monitoring File c). It sounds out of sync and out of tune –unsusable.

The non-pedal steel RealStyle instruments are not playing the same things they were in Attempt 1 or Attempt 2, when they sounded nice with File c).

***

So unfortunately, the cleaning out of all the midi controller data has no effect. (Why would these data have effected only the pedal steel, but not the other RealStyle instruments?)

This is pretty frustrating. I have 5 instruments in a style. And the only one I can't play along properly with File C) is the only one I'm interested in, the pedal steel.

In other cases, BiB tells you when a RealStyle isn't going to work – either by the use of “NA” in the Style picker dialogue, or the yellow message boxes which tell you that something isn't available for a certain instrument in the RealStyle you've just chosen.

But I'm not getting any message telling me that the pedal steel won't work.

Whether this behaviour is a “bug” or a “feature” – well, I'll just say that if it is feature, then it is a very limiting, counter-intuitive, and unwanted one.

Since we have eliminated the midi controller data as the culprit, or so it seems, then why on earth would only one of the Realstyle instruments out of five behave this way?

Again, is there anyting else I can try within BiB to make this work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tDj_VanH3g