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When I write a song with just one single style I can add new or modify the RealTracks in the mixer-window.

When I write a song which changes the style I can't do this (or at least I didn't find out how) for the second style because the RealTracks in the mixer-window do not change when the style changes.

Should technically be easy to implement (after all, everything you need is already there) and would open a complete new door to amazing compositions...

Edit: just noticed that the second style don't even keeps its own panning and volume settings...when I change those for the first style it just uses those crazy

Last edited by B.D.Thomas; 08/18/22 01:15 AM.
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Hi. Can you provide a bit more detail to how you're building your song? There's multiple ways to implement style changes and BIAB can handle as many as 24 style changes in a song, each with a-b subsections. There's also multiple ways to handle panning and volume setting changes when a style change occurs.

Charlie


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I agree with this.

A problem with more than one style in a song, either using Medley Maker or style-change in Bar Settings is that the mixer does not display the instruments of the new style. The mixer only displays the track information for the first style, so I can't see or tweak or substitute instruments for the other style, which I should be able to do. In fact, it keeps the name of the instrument of the first style but plays the new instrument on that channel.

I assume the architecture of the mixer has only room for one main bass/drums/keys/guitars/etc.- of the first style - so it is impractical for it to keep swapping between them on the fly. Of course, with all-tracks-equal, I can manually duplicate a style by separately loading each instrument into a utility track so that they can all be seen in the mixer, and then mute or silence all the bars of each style when the other is playing, but this would be quite cumbersome and laborious, and all the information is known by BIAB to do this automatically.

SUGGESTION:

I'm wondering if when there are two or more different styles in a song, using either Medley Maker or style-change in bar-settings - an option for an automatic button to print the tracks of the new style(s) into utility tracks and appropriately mute both styles when the other is playing.

As already said, the information is available in BIAB, but it just needs to separate the tracks/instrument channels of each style to its own set of tracks (which of course can then be modified or substituted)

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I agree with this.

A problem with more than one style in a song, either using Medley Maker or style-change in Bar Settings is that the mixer does not display the instruments of the new style. The mixer only displays the track information for the first style, so I can't see or tweak or substitute instruments for the other style, which I should be able to do. In fact, it keeps the name of the instrument of the first style but plays the new instrument on that channel.

I assume the architecture of the mixer has only room for one main bass/drums/keys/guitars/etc.- of the first style - so it is impractical for it to keep swapping between them on the fly. Of course, with all-tracks-equal, I can manually duplicate a style by separately loading each instrument into a utility track so that they can all be seen in the mixer, and then mute or silence all the bars of each style when the other is playing, but this would be quite cumbersome and laborious, and all the information is known by BIAB to do this automatically.

SUGGESTION:

I'm wondering if when there are two or more different styles in a song, using either Medley Maker or style-change in bar-settings - an option for an automatic button to print the tracks of the new style(s) into utility tracks and appropriately mute both styles when the other is playing.

As already said, the information is available in BIAB, but it just needs to separate the tracks/instrument channels of each style to its own set of tracks (which of course can then be modified or substituted)

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Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
Hi. Can you provide a bit more detail to how you're building your song? There's multiple ways to implement style changes and BIAB can handle as many as 24 style changes in a song, each with a-b subsections. There's also multiple ways to handle panning and volume setting changes when a style change occurs.

Charlie

Thanks for your reply, and sorry for the late answer, I somehow completely missed your post.

When I use multiple styles I first write the chord progression for the complete song, and when I e.g. decide to change the style for the chorus I left-click on the first bar of the chorus and select the new style via
"Bar Settings" -> "Style Changes at This Bar".

Works without problems and the new instruments of that style are used, however as I wrote above in the mixer-window there are still only the instruments of the "main" style displayed and I can't change anything for the new style, like panning or track-settings (both are used globally for both styles), or just see that the instrument(s) have changed.
Needless to say that Utility-Tracks are also globally used and not per style.

BTW, the same problem exists when you change a RealTrack under "Bar Settings", the mixer window is not updated with the new RealTrack.

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No problem. I'm glad you replied.

I understand your issue and I agree it would be convenient for the Mixer to update. I don't know why it doesn't or if it can be updated to have that feature so I will Plus 1 the Wishlist request.

You and Thomass manually change Styles and that's fine, the feature's there to be used.

However, that's the most basic way to accomplish the task and BIAB automates Style changes with MultiStyles that can be modified and are also easy to create your own from any existing Style in the StylePicker. There are two variations, a MultiStyle that is a global style or a MultiStyle for use in a specific purposed song. I reference them as the first to be a permanent addition to my StylePicker and the second version I normally discard after completing my project. I use the 2nd version most times.

Like I mentioned in my earlier comment, a BIAB project can accommodate up to 24 substyles in a song, each having a-b sub sections. They are activated using multi colored Part Markers and can be placed at any bar on a Chord Chart. They can be used multiple times in a project. PG Music has developed a large number of pre-made MultiStyles and utilize them frequently in their Demos. My BIAB version has around 9,800 Styles and about 10% of those styles are PG Music MultiStyles. MultiStyles can be used individually or in conjunction with a Master MultiStyle.

A Section Text Layer can be opened to notate MultiStyle instrument changes. Part Markers can be placed at any bar and the 'Part Marker' starts a new line function can be turned off so the Chord Chart doesn't get mis-aligned.

I've found this to be the most convenient and quickest method to use Styles for instrument changes and vary the song dynamics. Once you have your MultiStyle variations, changes can be made by selecting Part Markers.




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Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 11/10/22 04:20 AM. Reason: Images added

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Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
However, that's the most basic way to accomplish the task and BIAB automates Style changes with MultiStyles that can be modified and are also easy to create your own from any existing Style in the StylePicker.

I read that you can create your own styles, but I thought that was a bit complicated. Changing an existing style should be much easier.
And "MultiStyles" are new to me, I think I'll take a closer look at them.

Thanks so much for bringing them to my attention, Charlie!

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Originally Posted By: B.D.Thomas
Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
However, that's the most basic way to accomplish the task and BIAB automates Style changes with MultiStyles that can be modified and are also easy to create your own from any existing Style in the StylePicker.

I read that you can create your own styles, but I thought that was a bit complicated. Changing an existing style should be much easier.
And "MultiStyles" are new to me, I think I'll take a closer look at them.

Thanks so much for bringing them to my attention, Charlie!


Yes. MultiStyles are very versatile and it's easy to modify any style into a MultiStyle for use on a particular song. PG Music developers use RT-1152: silence in a lot of their MultiStyles.

To me, it would work good in a workflow where you create your Chord Chart and then decide on the various instruments to use in your song and create a series of MultiStyles using an instrument or two in each new MultiStyle so that you will then be able to change instruments and combinations of them as easily as you can edit the Chord Sheet. You would rearrange instruments by changing Part Markers.


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