Originally Posted By: Mark Hayes
Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
There were also 4 tracks of PG Music special RealTrack 1152, Silence that is used for programming purposes by the BIAB algorithm.

I am intrigued. Can you say a little more about this?


Hi Mark. I can tell you what I speculate and let you know if you use RT 1152-Silence as I think it works, it does respond as expected. I have no inside knowledge of the BIAB algorithm so only PG Music knows for sure why its used and how it works. But it works as I'll describe.

I have studied PG Music demos a lot and learned over time that PG Music developers and demo programmers used RT 1152 extensively. Also over time I continued to see comments by PG staff referring to the term, smooth transitions. If you listen to BIAB demos, you notice quickly they are quite advanced and complex. The instruments never begin or end abruptly, transitions of soloist instruments end without cutting off and solo instruments that play alternately will begin correctly. It's also noticeable when using the RealTrack Medley Maker, again RT 1152-Silence is used extensively.

You may or may not be aware of the RealTrack Medley Maker but it allows any of the original 7 Legacy BIAB Mixer channels to have up to 10 different RealTracks on each one. Users can program these tracks in various ways from the RT Medley Maker Window. RT Medley Maker Window is accessed by the Medley Button in the RealTracks picker or from the Bar Settings Menu.

The BIAB algorithm reads the Chord Chart to select the audio material it will play. It selects the chords, key signature, tempo and style. As you know, each time the Chord Chart is played over again, there are slight variations and unless a track is frozen, these variations will always occur. It creates realistic feel to the song. That the algorithm is reading ahead has a direct affect on what particular chord and audio phrase the algorithm chooses. As far as I can tell, BIAB does not randomly select chords. The algorithm is receiving instructions prior to selecting each and every chord and based the Chord Sheet programming input by the user as well as the Style, tempo and key, BIAB makes its audio selections. Audio phrases can be varying lengths I understand. BIAB can also make RealTrack selections from multiple RealTrack Audio Files. These factors allow BIAB to construct very complex arrangements and mixes that you hear in the demos.

PG Music advertises these demos are made by the BIAB program meaning these complex arrangements aren't being constructed by comping the tracks in a DAW. BIAB is doing them. So, for instance, in a demo the BIAB algorithm reads ahead and 'sees' a guitar soloist is ending at bar 19 as a soloist fiddle is beginning on bar 20, BIAB may choose to fade the guitar on bar 19 as well as simultaneously fading in the beginning fiddle soloist on the same bar. Several things have occurred in this bar. The two instruments can be occupying the same Legacy Channel and for that one bar, play simultaneously and at the same time BIAB will also select RealTrack audio for that bar's chord that's been recorded as an ending phrase audio while the second instrument audio is chosen from RealTrack audio where that bar's chord has been recorded as intro phrase audio.

I say all of the above to say that the BIAB algorithm uses RT 1152 as a place mat for the algorithm as it reads ahead on the Chord Sheet in it's RealTrack audio file selections for muting RealTrack instruments for various tasks in preference to using the mute function in the Bar Settings Window (F5). The obvious reason it's done is this allows the BIAB algorithm to 'see' the mute instruction prior to selecting RealTrack audio and thus select the appropriate phrase recorded and the phrase length that's best for the following bars such as intros, endings, cross fades, instruments transitioning between alternating solos, fade ins and fade outs among many other circumstances. PG Music programmers also utilize RT 1152 substantially with MultiStyles. It acts as a placeholder in lieu of the RT Medley Maker and allows multiple instruments to reside on the same Legacy Channel when changes occur between the MultiStyles. It's a very powerful and useful tool.

Using RT 1152 is instrumental in allowing the BIAB algorithm to react before selecting forthcoming RT audio rather than reacting to a Bar Settings mute command after it's already selected RealTrack audio for the affected bar or bars which can result in an abrupt, cut off intro or ending. In one instance, it's pre-audio selection and the other is post-audio selection.

RealTrack 1152-Silence is unique and exclusive to BIAB as far as I can tell. RT 1152 can be selected in RealBand and will cause the cursor to move forward on a track for the region of blank track highlighted but if you highlight existing RealTrack audio or Midi data, it does nothing. I assume since the BIAB VST DAW Plug in accesses BIAB data the same as RealBand, the VST will respond the same as RealBand which makes sense because there's no value to do this action in any DAW, including RealBand because RT 1152's function is a normal and manual function for a DAW.

Sorry to be so wordy but it's a fairly complex component of the BIAB programming.

Charlie

BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.