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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 71
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Posts: 71 |
Since I bought the 2016 BIAB software, I hoped I could import all my MusicXML files. However most imports (99%) did start with the error: "Could not convert variant of type (Null) into type (String) at: 00414A9C" I figured out all major problems to solve this by updating all my 12000 files in a few batch runs by means of a "find and replace" program. It are always the same reasons why this error occurs. The BIAB import does not accept that anywhere in the MusicXML where a value is to be expected, the value is empty or equals a space. Example: if a lyrics text is to be expected like: <text>anything</text> but it looks like <text></text> or <text> </text> it will show this error. So the next typical often missing info in MusicXML files did occur due to all kind of exported notation software using typical conversion processes which causes this. It should be noticed that this missing info in MusicXML files doesn't bother other importing software programs, but it is solely a typical BIAB import problem. So I had to change the next MusicXML contents: 1. <creator type="poet"></creator> (replaced it by changing it into a comment ) 2. <part-name></part-name> (replaced it by adding: Piano ) 3. <instrument-name></instrument-name> (replaced it by adding: Piano ) 4. <word></word> (replaced it by adding: . ) 5. <text></text> (replaced it by adding: . ) 6. <kind></kind> (replaced it by adding: major ) 7. .....></credit-word> (replaced it by adding: . ) Searching with a "find and replace" batch file is a quick solution for this problem. You can start searching for: ></ Once you find these 3 characters, you know you will get this BIAB import error. You cannot insert a space since the error will stay. So also > </ is not accepted. Another problem involved is that the import process doesn't import the title of the songs, although it does import some text like composer and bottom text. During exporting MusicXML it doesn't export title, composer or bottom text.
Last edited by robvh; 01/08/16 08:22 AM.
Musicians and music publishers are still wasting too much paper...come on men we live in the digitised age...Wake up!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,456
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Robvh, this is a very thorough report that will be valuable to PG Music. I urge you to send it to PG Music. Send an email to Support@pgmusic.com
I have also done similar things to get Music XML to load into other programs. Your report has identified several points that should be easy to correct in BIAB. Great work!
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2012
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Yes, to concur with the others comments, your work and findings are extremely valuable. When reporting, you may even consider attaching one or more of the XML files that gave you these issues.
Cheers
Trevor
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 71
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OP
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 71 |
I suppose pgmusic reads this forum as well, so if they are interested they can reflect as well. I'm quite sure I will find many more problems, so I like first to collect them over a few months. Hopefully more people will mention problems involved with importing/exporting their MusicXML files. I might be able to solve them as well. Additionally I don't want to get discussions about the several inconsistencies used in MusicXML files exported by all different notation programs. E.g. you can easily point to the exporting program not having exported a consistent MusicXML file. I just hope that pgmusic will become more tolerant to the inconsistencies I showed. Of course they can easily solve this.
Musicians and music publishers are still wasting too much paper...come on men we live in the digitised age...Wake up!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,456
Veteran
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,456 |
As this is a user forum, there is no guarantee PG Music will see a particular post. I wrote to them about this one, however, to be certain they see it.
We have been discussing the new implementation of Music XML in BIAB, and your work is very valuable. I completely agree that not all software fully complies with the Music XML standards. This will be an ongoing process to find and fix anomalies, but I think you just took it a giant step forward.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 71
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OP
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After downloading and installing:
"bb2016_update_build430.exe"
all mentioned problems from this topic were solved. So somewhere along the updates introduced after my installation of BIAB 2016 at 7-12-2015 pgmusic must have solved this already.
Thank you pgmusic.
Rob
Musicians and music publishers are still wasting too much paper...come on men we live in the digitised age...Wake up!
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