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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76 |
Hello All,
Currently BIAB 2015 doesn't replace Mididrums with RealDrums despite I made the settings for that. Btw, information about optional settings for the Midi Drumtrack under Sequencer is explained in a video at PGMusic titled 'Using the Melody Sequencer'.
In BIAB 2015 under RealDrums Preferences I have checked the setting to 'Always Substitute RealDrums for MidiDrums'.
When I then load a Midifile (type Multi/16 channel) I can see the track button label of Drums at the top left of the screen change to green. Though direclty when loading the file I can also see the drumtrack in the mixer change to yellow and showing the Mididrum track instead. Manually rechoosing a RealDrum track doesnt change this. As soon as I start to play the song the label at the radio button changes to yellow as well and I can hear the midi play over my keyboard and no RealDrums through my Audio speakers. Also when I click on the Sequencer button, choose 'Sequencer on Melody track', and remove the checks from both 'Play' and 'Show' at channel 10, the Midi drum track, there is no difference.
Does anyone know a workaround for this?
Thanks in advance for your reply
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,633
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,633 |
Hi Valentino,
I'm not sure that I have interpreted your post correctly. My take on it is that you have loaded a midi file into BIAB. This MIDI file contains its own drums and BIAB is not substituting Realdrums for those drums contained in the midi file.
If my interpretation is correct, please read on ...
The "Substitute Realdrums for MIDI drums" option only works for PG Music created styles that contain midi drums. This is normal behaviour. BIAB will not substitute Realdrums for drums contained in midi files.
What I interpret as happening is this ...
1. The style that is already loaded in BIAB when you import/open the midi file has correctly substituted the Realdrums (if the style originally had midi drums). This is why the track is initially green.
2. When the midi file begins to play, because the midi has embedded instrumental instructions, the midi file takes control of BIAB (as expected) and the midi drums contained in the external midi file will now play.
If you want to have Realdrums play along with the midi file, you will need to only import those tracks of the midi file that contain the music information you want. Do not import midi channel 10 data. I suspect that if you selectively import what tracks you need, all will be well (provided the midi file as correct tempo instructions contained within it).
Hope this helps,
Noel
P.S. If you want to work with midi files, Realband is much much better suited to the task than BIAB.
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76 |
Hello Noel,
Thank you very much for your reply and explanation and yes, you are correct, its about loading Midi-files into BIAB 2015. Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough.
Now I first played the PGMusic video under the section 'Intermediate' titled 'Using the melody Sequencer'.
Here the speaker starts with loading a Midifile and then he suggests to replace the Midi Drumtrack by a Realdrum track. Also he explains how the Sequencer option can be used to decide afterwards(!) which tracks inside the Midifile to keep including the Midi-Drumtrack. So based on this instructional video I assumed it was possible to do this. What do you think of the given information in this instructional video? Or did I possibly overlook something?
Thanks again for your detailed explanation!
greetings,
Valentino
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,848
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,848 |
The "Substitute Realdrums for MIDI drums" option only works for PG Music created styles that contain midi drums. This is normal behaviour. BIAB will not substitute Realdrums for drums contained in midi files. To add on to what Noel said, the above is true and BIAB will not substitute for MIDI files; however, if you have a style that is NOT a PGMusic provided style (for example, Norton Music styles), you can still get substitutions. The current substitutions are controlled by a file in the BIAB folder called "a_pgmusic.ds". If you look at this file with a text editor/viewer, you will see a list of styles and the preferred substitution. That's where BIAB gets it's substitutions from. You can also create your own substitutions by creating a file called "MySubs.ds" in the same format as "a_pgmusic.ds" and get non-PGMusic styles to have appropriate substitutions. For example, for the Norton Music styles which do not substitute RealDrums, if you created a "MySubs.ds" file listing the Norton Music styles, followed by an appropriate (or inappropriate, depending upon what you're looking for, your choice) RealDrum name, those styles will then honor substitutions. I suppose you could try also just editing the "a_pgmusic.ds" file (I haven't tried this), but I suspect it would get overwritten with the next program update. Hence the "MySubs.ds" file. This information is found on the "RealDrums Settings" page of the BIAB help file.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 463
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 463 |
Hello Valentino,
I use the SEQ quite often.
When opened, go to the EDIT button of track 10 and delete.
The midi drums disappear. RTs cannot be invoked while in SEQ mode. So invoke the desired BB style and save.
All midis are of course on melody track, so delete/move, etc, accordingly.
Then invoke desired RDs.
HTH.
Percy
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76 |
Thanks both John and Percy for your contributions. Much appreceated!
Interresting information. I will check out the suggestions given.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76 |
In the meantime I tested some things in BIAB 2015, and RB as well.
To Percy,
I have followed your suggestions. So I loaded the Midi File and then with SEQ I removed track 10. Then I chose a new style. Btw, I presume that by choosing a new style BIAB comes out of what you called the SEQ mode, right? Then I saved the file in BIAB. And yes, you are correct, now I could add a RD to the song, so for that part it worked! Thanks for the help with that! But then when I played the song I noticed that several chords in the melody really didn’t match with the style instruments sound and sounded semi false.
My tuning settings are on default. Do you have any idea how this can happen?
To Noel,
You suggested to use RB instead of BIAB for Midi files, so I tried this in RB as well. I know this is the BIAB forum so I will keep it short here. I loaded the Midi file into RB and then erased track 10, then I could successfully load a RD into that track and RB reported the track as Audio track. On itself it played well, though because I wanted to test with another RD I wanted to delete the RD from the track again. Then I got an access violation error in Realband.exe which I already reported to PGMusic.
greetings,
Valentino
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 463
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 463 |
Valentino,
You bring up a very good point.
When BB opens a 3rd party midi file, it has to interpret all of the chords using all of the existing parts. Many times, BB has to 'guess' and interprets incorrectly.
I would suggest reviewing the chords and making any necessary changes.
HTH.
Percy
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 76 |
That explains a lot. Thanks Percy!
Greetings,
Valentino
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