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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2014
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A bit of an open question I know as I expect people have lots of different ways of working with BIAB and DAWs.
Anyway, I am a guitarist and Sonar X3 Producer user who is looking to use BIAB as a quick way of getting ideas down which could then be used as a starting point in Sonar.
The way I see myself working is to create a decent backing track within BIAB and then export the MIDI from this to Sonar. I would almost certainly want to export MIDI drums, bass and keyboards tracks and maybe others. Once in Sonar I would then route these to high quality instruments within Sonar (Addictive drums, Sampletank 3 etc).
I would also tweak anything MIDI-wise that needed it, add my guitar parts, vocals, effects, mix it and master it for the final result. I have had a very brief go at this by using a MIDI piano part generated by BIAB in my current work-in-progress track in Sonar.
I am just curious to know what other people do and whether the above methodology will work or whether there is a better way of doing it. Maybe even learn something from you seasoned BIABers out there 8)
Thanks
Rec
Last edited by receder; 12/09/14 09:24 AM.
BIAB 2022 UltraPAK, CbB, Studio One 5 Pro, Fender USA Tele, Harley Benton Fusion & others.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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MIDI and RealTracks can be taken right into SONAR. I do it regularly. You can use the Drag 'n Drop for tracks individually, or drag the Combo, or use the drop box (upper left).
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: Dec 2003
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Rec, you work exactly like this guitarist works. That is MIDI from BiaB into Sonar X3 Producer. There ain't nothing wrong with your workflow.
OK, a random thought;
Why does toilet paper need a commercial? Who's not buying it?
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 577
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 577 |
MIDI and RealTracks can be taken right into SONAR. I do it regularly. You can use the Drag 'n Drop for tracks individually, or drag the Combo, or use the drop box (upper left).
Thanks for the tip Matt. I will definitely be trying this out. Rec, you work exactly like this guitarist works. That is MIDI from BiaB into Sonar X3 Producer. There ain't nothing wrong with your workflow. Hey MarioD, it's good to know that there's more than one of us trying to crack the same nut (as it were)  Hopefully you won't mind me picking your brains if I get stuck somewhere?
BIAB 2022 UltraPAK, CbB, Studio One 5 Pro, Fender USA Tele, Harley Benton Fusion & others.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,696
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Hey MarioD, it's good to know that there's more than one of us trying to crack the same nut (as it were) Hopefully you won't mind me picking your brains if I get stuck somewhere? No problem I will be glad to help if I can.
OK, a random thought;
Why does toilet paper need a commercial? Who's not buying it?
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi receder!
It´s the same workflow here, with some exceptions:
My main DAW is Cubase and I use BiaB more or less as a "sound source", may it be midi or real tracks.
All midis will be converted into audio in Cubase (most likely through NI Kontakt)
The only Midi I keep until the very end is DRUMS. I´d like to have the option to add or alter a crash cymbal or a break even in a very late stage.
To be honest: Although I´m a guitar player (my band mates call me a guitar owner) I have to admit that I sometimes leave the BiaB real guitars in the final mix. Especially when it comes to Solo guitars.
In this special case I very often let BiaB regenerate the Solo over and over again. I import all these tracks into Cubase, snip it into chunks and re-combine them to a solo to my taste.
regards
SC
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Receder...I've been using BiaB with Cakewalk products for about 6 years. I started with MC4 and have moved to Sonar.
If you are writing electronica and styles that really need midi for driving a softsynth, then yeah, dragging or copying the midi tracks to Sonar is the way to go. Once you get the midi there, simply link it to a synth of your choosing.
If, however, you write music that is based on live players.... rock, country, bluegrass, etc.... then you need to use Real Band to render your Band in a Box project with midi tracks into all audio tracks in Real Band.
I compose in BB, transfer the project to RB, render all my tracks there to audio waves and export them into Sonar where I mix, add more of my own live tracks and polish the project.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
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For me, Drag and Drop from BIAB to Reaper is the perfect one-two combination.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi receder!
...I have to admit that I sometimes leave the BiaB real guitars in the final mix. Especially when it comes to Solo guitars.
In this special case I very often let BiaB regenerate the Solo over and over again. SC
SC, think real hard about this. You are a guitar player (good or bad), don't you want "you" in the mix? Playing will get you better, RTs won't. Just sayin
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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thanks for the fatherly advice, jazzmandan ...but I see my "role" more as producer rather than a musician and my goal is to improve my songs, no matter who is performing the single parts.
SC
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks smallchamer, guitahacker and jazzmandan for your the helpful responses.
Smallchamer, I too wouldn't be averse to leaving in BIAB guitars if I thought they were good enough (or better than I could do). Some of those Brent Mason (?) baritone guitars are particularly good.
Guitarhacker, I don't really write electronica, more pop/rock. I'm actually writing a song to my Mum for a Christmas surprise at the moment which is a sort of Pop anthem remembering events in her life. Realband is on my "to do" list as I don't really know what it's for - it seems like a DAW with some BIAB capabilities but then I have Sonar for my DAW so I don't quite understand where it would fit in yet. That's one reason I have only purchased BIAB 2015 Pro for now to give me until end December to decide whether I need all the stuff that's in the EverythingPAK. It's actually in my shopping cart along with Jbridge (for SampleTank 3) and the 49PAK, lol.
Jazzmandan, I'm an ex Reaper user and only defected when Sonar X3 was on a special offer (cheaper than Reaper). I still think it's a great package.
BIAB 2022 UltraPAK, CbB, Studio One 5 Pro, Fender USA Tele, Harley Benton Fusion & others.
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