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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 61
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 61 |
Biab 2008.5 is great. RealTracks now makes sense now tome. Thanks, Peter, for this new version! And many thanks for this update for free!!! I just bought and downloaded the RealTracks bundle 1 - 9 and I am looking forward to exploring it.
But one big wish remains and I would buy the next upgrade only for this one new feature:
Please imbed an option to export Biab files to MIDI file with chords in the Yamaha XF format.
I had put this wish in this forum before, and there were a number of users who supported me in this.
This option would revolutionize my playing. I would no longer have need for sheet music with my keyboard (because of the chord information). The display of my keyboard would then show notes AND chords. I could then easily create the songs with Biab, export them to MIDI and then have the full information needed in my keyboards display.
I say it again: I would be willing to pay an upgrade only because of this feature. I am sure: many other users would profit from the XF format, too.
Thanks for considering.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 569
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 569 |
This is a feature I would like so much, and I don't know why never implemented. BIAB should be able to send chords to external arrangers like Yamaha ones, as it already does for the Vocalist. Moreover, midi file creation, for midi files generated with BIAB, should have an option for encoding chord symbols in XF format. This would enable Yamaha keyboards and Digital Pianos to acknowledge them, showing chord names on their displays and even playing their own proprietary styles. What a perfect marriage between BIAB and Yamaha keyboards. I think this would be welcome by the whole world of Yamaha users, because at present they (we) have to rely on poor software for that.      
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 791
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 791 |
Quote:
This is a feature I would like so much, and I don't know why never implemented.
BIAB should be able to send chords to external arrangers like Yamaha ones, as it already does for the Vocalist.
Hi maurig,
The "Output Chords" feature should work for any MIDI device, not just the Vocalist. However if you are expecting the Yamaha to change chords with its auto-accompaniment or auto-arpeggio, etc. features, it probably won't. In my experience with Yamaha keyboards they do not accept external MIDI input to control those features, only the keys on the keyboard can control them.
Blake
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 897
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 897 |
Altho I agree (I have a PA-80 Arranger...
I also have a Motif Rack and a Motof ES-8 Keyboard,
and a CS6X Sampler Keyboard, and they'd certainly be "OK" with the feature!!
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 569
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 569 |
Hi Blake, you are right, BIAB sends chords to external arranger, and it can even drive the accompaniment on that, changing chords with its auto-accompaniment or auto-arpeggio, etc. features (!). Moreover, here is my workaround to get a MIDI file with chords that can be read on the display of a Yamaha keyboard: I have to transmit via MIDI the whole file to my keyboard (playing it), and record the file on it. For this to work, here is what I do in Biab: I enable ‘output chords to external arranger’, where I ‘output MIDI Sync info’, ‘select Channel 16’ for the chords to be sent, set ‘# 0 ticks before chord change to output’; other things do not influence. I saved these into my Preferences. On my keyboard, I have built a MIDI user preset where I have external clock control, and chord detect on channel 16. Moreover, I have to set each sequencer channel to read MIDI inputs instead of Right1, Right2, Left and so on, that it would search as default. This way I can both have the keyboard playing following BIAB chords (!), and record chords and midi in a new file on the keyboard, where it converts chords info (notes played) in chords meta events, written in XF format in the resulting file. This is fine at the end of the day, but I have not found yet a way to send variation and fill-in commands. I have to put them into the file in step mode, afterward. I would so much appreciate the possibility to embed XF chords in those MIDI files produced directly in BIAB, avoiding such a time consuming workaround. Also because I have not been able to send and record lyrics, the way I described.   Thank you Maurizio
Last edited by maurig; 06/03/11 12:34 AM.
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