PG Music Home Forums User-to-User Post your own Tips and Tricks here Using BIAB with Yamaha CVP's

This article addresses:

1. Background
2. Resolving drum incompatibilities between BIAB midi files and the CVP
3. Using BIAB to convert GMidi files to CVP-compatible files
4. Using BIAB to create lyrics which are compatible with the CVP Karaoke display
5. Using BIAB to add lyrics to a GMidi file
6. Assigning a BIAB instrument (eg piano track) to the CVP Score display

1. Background

BIAB is a program sold by PG Music and which allows the rapid construction of backing tracks, in a wide selection of styles, for most songs initially sourced from sheet music. See http://www.pgmusic.com/ for further details and downloadable style demos.

The basic procedure is that you simply type in the chord structure of the song into a user interface, similar to spreadsheet, and then select a style from the wide range available (eg Chuck Berry rock’n’roll). It is a simple procedure to define repeats, chorus, endings and so on.

The style selected will automatically select the appropriate voicing (eg type of rhythm guitar, bass, keyboard, brass/strings, drum set and so on), although it is possible to amend these using drop-down menus.

One would normally save these creations as a BIAB Song (.sgu), but you can also export them as a standard midi file (type 0 or 1). This allows you an easy way to create some really good backing tracks, which you can then play back in the CVP as a “song” and then play the melody or other embellishments over the top “live”.

The program is easy to learn, and once you are familiar with it, you can generally create a top-quality midi file in about 20-30 minutes (excluding melody and lyrics, which can nonetheless be added separately if needed).

2. Resolving drum incompatibilities between BIAB midi files and the CVP

Many of the BIAB styles use the Brush Kit, which conflict with the CVP drum sets (leading to strange results such as a handclap sounding, instead of a brushed snare).

By amending some of the preferences within BIAB, it is possible to export midi files which will play properly on the CVP. It is possible that drum map conflicts may also exist if BIAB uses kits other than the standard drum kit, but the solution is generally the same as that described here.

There are a few ways you can tell if a particular BIAB style uses the brush kit, aside from just listening to it:

· The Memo field in the BIAB StylePicker window will indicate if drum brushes are used in the style.
· Many styles that use the brush kit have a ~ symbol in front of the style name, although this only applies to older styles - most newer styles don't use this naming convention.
· If you have the style open, press Play, then click on the Drum radio button in the instrument panel. If the style uses brushes, it will say "41 Brushes Kit" in the instrument pull-down menu.

MIDI channel 10 is the drum channel on most MIDI synthesizers. On the drum channel, different notes are interpreted as different drum sounds, instead of being different pitches of a particular instrument. Instead of using Program Change messages to switch between different instruments, on the drum channel they are used to choose a drum kit. Patch #1 is the Standard Drum Kit.

The Brush Kit (Patch #41) is the same as the Standard Drum Kit, with the following exceptions:
· Note #38 is a Brush Tap instead of a Snare Drum.
· Note #39 is a Brush Slap instead of a Hand Clap.
· Note #40 is a Brush Swirl instead of a Snare Drum.

Now, this is what you need to do when using BIAB to resolve the compatibility problem:

(Note - If you are creating the song using a GMidi soundcard on your PC, complete the creation, then make the following changes just prior to exporting the midi file. If you are using your clav as an external sound source for BIAB, then make the changes whenever you use BIAB. BIAB will remember your preferences, so you only need to make the changes once if the clav is being used as a sound source)

· Go to Opt./Midi Driver Setup, then under Synthesizer/Soundcard select ‘Yamaha XG (Generic)’
· Go to Opt./Preferences/Midi Options, and tick ‘Send XG Mode On at Startup’
· Go to Opt./Preferences/Midi Options, and tick ‘Drum Patch Changes’ and ’Drum Bank Changes’

This procedure will re-map the GMidi drums to be compatible with the clav.

3. Using BIAB to convert GMidi midi files to CVP-compatible files, using the on-board XG voices.

In almost all cases, a GMidi file is going to play properly on a Yamaha clav, and you don’t need to do anything! The few exceptions will be when the programmer used, say, a Brush Kit which is not mapping properly for the reasons described above.

If you have BIAB, simply import the GMidi file, set the preferences as described in (2) above, and then export the amended midi file.

If you do not have BIAB, but are using some other sequencing software, then you will probably need to create an alternate drum map (not discussed in this article). For further details, see http://www.pgmusic.com/techfaq14.htm#131

4. Using BIAB to create lyrics

These notes assume that the midi file does not have a melody track (if there is a melody track, then consult BIAB Help for further instructions on note-based lyrics).

This is what you need to do:

· Import the midi file into BIAB, then go to Notation Window view.
· Select the “L” button for note-based lyrics - this brings up a dialogue box to enter the lyric text.
· Click on the bar position where you want the lyrics to align, type the lyrics, and then press return.
· The lyrics will appear below the top line of the score.
· To view in Lead Sheet format, click on the Lead Sheet Window, and uncheck Fake Sheet Mode.
· Select Preferences/Midi File and then ensure that ‘Write Lyrics’ is set to General Midi Format
· Export the midi file.

When you play the song on the clav, the lyrics will appear in the Karaoke display.

5. Using BIAB to add lyrics to a GMidi file

Simply import the GMidi file into BIAB, and then follow the procedure described in (4) above.

6. Assigning a BIAB instrument (eg piano track) to the CVP Score display

You can use this procedure to determine which BIAB instrument you want to display in the CVP Score display:

· Create your BIAB Song (or import a GMidi which you wish to amend).
· Go to Opt/Preferences, and set the channel number to 1 for the instrument you wish to display.
· Export the midi file.

When you play the song on the clav, the instrument you assigned to channel 1 will display on the Score display.

(If you are using other sequencing software, simply assign channel 1 to the instrument you wish to display.)

This article, and responses, is also available at http://cvpug.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2373

Good.
But how can I export to CVP also the chords BiaB has sorted out?
Is there any way to let them be recognized as XF chords?
I like so much this feature in Biab, and I consider it the best performing program at this regard, if compared to other software having the same feature.
I would like so much to have these chords on the CVP screen.
So far, I have not been able to get them, also using PSRUTI or Musician, they don't read chords as produced by Biab (even if they can analyze chords on their own but I don't like the way they do and the results they get)