Ya, I knew that would be the next question. Let me get a picture for you...
Disclaimer... I have not done this in a while, but in the past did this a lot. So it does work, but I recall it can be tricky at times. Look close at the options in the menu. See picture below. Let us know how it works for you...
Remember my disclaimer... this can be tricky. Here are first four bars in triad root position... BIAB writes all the tracks to midi. You have to open in an editor and selected the "BIAB Chords" single track. Than delete all the others.
I did what you said and the tracks came out separately. The 'strings' track seems to have chords but not in root position as they are played during playback.
The BB Chord Output has got some weird notes in it.....?
I did what you said and the tracks came out separately. The 'strings' track seems to have chords but not in root position as they are played during playback.
The BB Chord Output has got some weird notes in it.....?
Yes, you want the "BB Chord Output", glad you see that.
Weird notes? Ya got to love BIAB. So, you are close. Adjust all options in chord output and in midi export to simplify the track. Assuming this works (remember you are on the MAC and I am on a PC) you should get it with a little more effort.
I would be glad to video the whole process, but first we might need a Mac guy to weigh in. Is this a new feature to the Mac or has it been around for a while?
While we wait to see what is wrong with your Output-Chords.
Here is a old work around (so many of these in biab). Put this style on your chord chart. This will create a midi track with just a piano. These chords may be triads from the root. But will be a simple non embellished single chord midi track which you can drag and drop from BIAB to your DAW. It may be what you can use.
PNOSIMP4.STY. Simple Solo Piano 4/4 Style All MIDI. Duo. Tempo=120 (60-180) Instruments: M-Ac.Piano Memo: This style will emulate simple Solo Piano playing in 4/4 tempo. Tempo range 50-200 -Examples: Wedding March, and most tunes in 4/4, Genre "Intensity" Score=30/100
This is great, but do I have to use the "Simple Solo Piano 4/4 Style"? Can't I use that 'piano' in another style or...???
Well in theory, yes, you can just insert the single piano track from the PNOSIMP4.STY Simple Solo Piano 4/4 Style into your current style and then you will have a piano playing just the chord (presumably root position) with no embellishment.
But that is currently a problem under discussion over here:
I didn't what to jump from one feature which is not working to another which is not working. I don't know your background with BIAB and did not want to discourage you. But go ahead and give it a try. Someone will come along and determine if the Output chords is working or not in the Mac version.
This is a very important feature in my workflow. I use it frequently to isolate a single simple midi track of the BIAB chord sheet with no embellishment to drive a number of Kontack VSTs. Using it now with the new session guitarists picked acoustic. Works well in the PC version of BIAB (although a bit tricky).
Which is why I am surprised this has not been resolved and is getting so little attention here in Mac Land. We have not seen one users other than the OP who is weighing in on if this works or not.
Megamads, if you are still troubled I can make a video of each button pushed on my PC version to generate the simple midi track in my DAW this weekend. It will be the PC version, but you may see something which could help. Just let me know.
Setting 'Output chords to external device' to true seems to be working OK for playback, but you're right it doesn't seem to write the chords properly a MIDI file. We probably need to revisit this, as it hasn't been updated for a long time. Either way I think there is a better way to do what you want, just by having a style play the simple root position chords.
After you do that, rebuild the StylePicker (Slow rebuild so that it picks up these styles which are not in the PG database yet)
There are two approaches you could take.
(1) When you want a MIDI file with the chords, simply load in the style chords4.sty (or chords3.sty if you're song is in 3/4), generate, and save as a MIDI file. The way I suggest that you save as a MIDI file is by dragging the Piano track to the "MID" quadrant of the Drop panel:
Then drag from there to Finder (desktop or wherever).
(2) Or you could add the Piano track of the style (where the chords are played) as a custom MIDI track to your current song, although that's more complicated. Let's say you wanted to insert it into the Soloist track:
1. Right-click on the Soloist track and 'Select Custom MIDI style' 2. Click [Choose style with this instrument] (any patch) 3. Type 'chords4' in the StylePicker filter to find it quickly and OK. 4. Set "From Track" to Piano, Press OK.
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But go ahead and give it a try. Someone will come along and determine if the Output chords is working or not in the Mac version.
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