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I've been doing BB since '96. I love the program and I'm discovering things I didn't know the program was capable of.

I've just started tinkering with the real instruments and discovered that you can dump the midi to the real instrument on demand. In this way you can see what's controling the RI. I noticed, however, that if I try to manipulate the midi tracks it doesn't change the way the RI plays. Is there a way where I can do that? If I can then I can make a RI play the way I want to. I want to be able to alter the real tracks in the way I think. For instance, some of the country tracks play like jazz. (Hmmm - wonder why?) wink If I could change the way the RI plays, such as, more to the way I think a country track should play then the RI's would be absolutely perfect.

Any takers on this one? wink


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The midi does not control the RealTrack instrument. The midi is transcribed by a person that is listening to playback of the RealTrack audio. PG Music then adds the midi transcription data to the RealTrack file.

PG Music adds the midi data to RealTracks for notation or viewing on the big piano or fretboard screens. But several users have found additional uses for the midi data.


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Russ -

I think you have it backwards. The MIDI (RealChart) associated with a Real Instrument is just the transcription of what the already Real Instrument played. The MIDI associated with that is not driving the RealTrack; it's the other way around - the MIDI was created based on what the RealTrack played. This allows you to see the notes (as notation for example), or perhaps to use with a MIDI sound source to create your own rendition, but it won't sound like the RealTrack itself, since the MIDI file won't have all the nuances of a real player.

So you can't take a MIDI file and have a RealTrack play it. Change the notes all you want, and you'll find that the RealTrack just keeps playing the same thing, because it's pre-recorded audio phrases. The RealCharts were added much later to RealTracks to let people see what the performer was doing when he/she recorded it.


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Thanks John and Jim. That's a big help. So, in order to have a track that does what I want it to do then I'd have to create a user track. But that means I'd have to play the instrument I want used. However, I don't play steel,fiddle, organ and such. So in using a user track it would be pretty limited I guess.

I assume that in making a user track I could play leads and such, right?


Russ
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Correct. Of course, in creating a user track, there's no reason you couldn't create it using MIDI (for example, using a MIDI guitar) and then assigning a different high quality MIDI instrument to it, then rendering it to audio as your user track in whatever sound you want.


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Not what you need, but if a realtrack has midi data, then going into edit and move tracks the midi transcription can be copied to say the soloist, then you can change the patch and use the piano roll to edit.

Probably a lot of strange effects though and unusable in a lot of cases.

No doubt you are aware of this already Russ, hope everything is well with you.

smile

Musiclover

Last edited by musiclover; 12/08/15 10:35 AM.

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Good to see you Russ !

If you are wanting an exact replica of a specific song, you will have to record the parts in either midi or audio.

The RealTracks are basically musical riffs that generate over a set of chords like the midi styles do. Same with the soloists.

Hope you are doing well brother.

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Russell,

UserTracks can be used for solo, melody, rhythm or even drums but the UserTrack is subject to splicing, pitch and time shifting (drums are not pitch shifted) the same way BiaB and RB works with RealTracks. If I was going to make a melody or solo UserTrack I would study the PG Music RealTracks hunting for hints as how their tracks turn out so good.

If you say in a UserTrack sgu file bar 3 is filled with a four beat "C" chord when bar 3 actually has four quarter note "C" chords the bar can't be interpeted correctly. On the other hand, the chordsheet is limited to four chords per bar. So you have to be very careful in choosing what you play and how you score it on the chordsheet.

For melody or solo parts, or even fills, you may want to think about creating audio loops. BiaB and RB allows you to make loops!


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Thanks guys for all your feedback. What I'd like to see/hear is a real instrument that would follow a midi. I have that drum kit that does that. Sounds great because the drums to can be split into individual tracks and each track can be controlled, unlike a real drum track. I guess in order to get that I need to learn how to create special intruments that will work on the order of a sound font but play a real instrument.

Not gonna happen. I've got prostrate cancer. I'm having to take radiation treatments 5 times a week for 8 weeks. I'm in the middle of week 2 now. It's sort of wiped my tail feathers out where I don't feel like doing anything.

I've been working on a couple of cover songs as a show case on how well I can create without my music studio. I can sing straight into the laptop mic's and they sound clean. I kid you not. I wanted to show how easy it is to make a tune using just your mouse. Both songs came out pretty good but they are very unfinished without adding my guitar and bass.

I've also found out how to make good sounding harmony using the TCHelicon. Just lower the volume presets to half way from the center down. Then you can spice the harmonies up using the plugs. I don't know if any of you use the TCHelicon or not. I was just messiing with it during beta and discovered it.

It's good to see all you guys from the past. Glad to make connections again.


Russ
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Good to see you back on the forum, Russ. I still recall the cover you did of Dire Straits "Sultans of Swing" that nailed it.

Good luck with the treatments and I hope all works out well for you.

And keep exploring RealTracks; they may not do what you want in terms of following a melody line, but for accompaniment, they really rock.


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Quote:
Not gonna happen. I've got prostrate cancer. I'm having to take radiation treatments 5 times a week for 8 weeks. I'm in the middle of week 2 now. It's sort of wiped my tail feathers out where I don't feel like doing anything.


hang in there buddy. I know it's kicking your butt, but be comforted by the fact that the treatment of prostate cancer has a high success rate. Please keep us posted. (not only on the treatment but also on your music)

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