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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 175
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 175 |
I'd like to be able to set up a jazz standard in BIAB with a mixture of live and BIAB-generated solos. For example:
Chorus 1: Clarinet (live) plays melody
Chorus 2: Clarinet (live) plays solo
Chorus 3: Tenor Sax (BIAB) plays solo
Chorus 4: Guitar (live) plays solo
Chorus 5: Clarinet plays melody
I think I've tried every combination of options, but can't get this to work.
Any suggestions? (TIA)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,726
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Veteran
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,726 |
#1. Generate the Tenor Sax Real Track
#2. 1st Chorus . . . Right Click/Bar Setting/Mute the generated Tenor Sax Track at Bar #1, or whatever bar you want to start your "Live" Clarinet melody and play until 2nd chorus starts.
#3. 2nd Chorus . . . Play your "Live" Clarinet solo until 3rd Chorus begins.
#4. 3rd Chorus . . . Right Click/Bar Setting/Back to Normal on 1st bar of 3rd Chorus or where ever you wat the Tenor Sax to come in. Then Right Click/Bar Setting/Mute on last bar of 3rd Chorus or where ever you want the Tenor Sax to quit.
#5. 5th Chorus . . . Play your "Live" Guitar solo.
Hope this makes sense.
Later,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 175
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 175 |
Thanks a million!
I'd never come across the Right-Click on the chord chart until now - I'd been looking at the soloist and melodist options, and found nothing that would do what I wanted.
I had seen references to "Bar Settings" elsewhere on the forum and thought this feature might be my salvation, but couldn't find "Bar Settings" in the Help file.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 175
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 175 |
I've been working away with solos, as described above, and have found a small problem which I haven't been able to work around.
Solos generated and frozen in this way are often truncated - missing a few lead-in notes before the first chord of the solo, or dying in mid-phrase at the end.
It doesn't seem to be possible to get the solos generated only for the range of bars I've selected - if there's a solo track at all it will be generated for the whole piece, and then selectively suppressed according to Bar Settings.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,161
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,161 |
I assume you are referring to RT Solos. In the Solo Window select "Custom" to select the number of complete bars over which to generate. There is no provision for leadins. Unlike with Midi Solos, you are unable to generate more than one RT solo on the Soloist track at a time, although the RealCharts for successive solos over a different range remain. To ensure that there is no abrupt ending for a musical phrase choose say an additional bar and then delete out what you don't need. Again you can repeat the generation until satisfied. If you use RealBand, then this will give you maximum flexibility.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616 |
In my experience, the Select Soloist dialog is the only way to get the lead-in you describe. The Bar Settings don't take phrasing into consideration. It just is on or off. Using the Custom button, as LynB described, will also allow you to extend the solo an extra beat. I think you'll be pleased with the results.
I don't think RealBand gives you this flexibility. The lead-in and extra bar are not options. I use BIAB to create these type of solos and export them to RB.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 175
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 175 |
I've just managed to get the result I was looking for, thanks to your help!
I was surprised to see that the solo is generated for the whole song, but is only played for the custom set of bars - it makes it hard to work out what's going on when what you see ISN'T what you get!
I find the existence of multiple incompletely overlapping ways of doing the same task a frustrating part of BIAB, but I suppose it's all related to the long evolution of this product and the need to keep the old method of doing things while introducing new ones to cope with features such as RealTracks.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
Quote:
In my experience, the Select Soloist dialog is the only way to get the lead-in you describe. The Bar Settings don't take phrasing into consideration. It just is on or off. Using the Custom button, as LynB described, will also allow you to extend the solo an extra beat. I think you'll be pleased with the results.
I don't think RealBand gives you this flexibility. The lead-in and extra bar are not options. I use BIAB to create these type of solos and export them to RB.
I do basically the same thing that you're doing except I only use BIAB solos as a means to get the creative juices going for the improvisation pieces in my score. I might then modify a solo here and there and then print the lead sheet for my soloists.
Obviously there's been some excellent responses here and I'd like to add one thing to the above suggestion ... If for some reason you're not entirely pleased with the computer-generated result you can go into the Notation Window (Ctrl W), click on the Editable Notation Mode button and add/change whatever bars you like.
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 211 |
Quote:
I find the existence of multiple incompletely overlapping ways of doing the same task a frustrating part of BIAB, but I suppose it's all related to the long evolution of this product and the need to keep the old method of doing things while introducing new ones to cope with features such as RealTracks.
I've only been using BIAB for a short while and I agree with your perception except that a bit later down the road you're likely to appreciate the feature methods that overlap as you say. I can relate that this can be strangely frustrating for people just starting to use the program and especially when you get a bunch of responses to your questions that seem to accomplish the same thing but then you realize that the procedures are totally different from one answer to the next.
When you think about it, basically all applications today are designed in that way (i.e. use one or more menu options for the same thing, press Ctrl + this or Alt + that). So just pick a flavor and run with it -- I don't think it's necessarily a BIAB-thing, rather I think it's an Application-designed-for-the-masses thing where the idea is to satisfy the likes of many different types of users out there -- which we know can't be done without dissatisfying some folks too.
And yes, you wouldn't dare take a keystroke or menu option away as it would definitely cause a stir in the community ... As many here can attest, some are so bold as to rush the forum and scream, "there's a bug" and then the "bug post" itself becomes quite an emotional discussion to say the least.
Good luck to you. BIAB is a great product and weeks and months from now you'll find so many uses for it ... then you'll come to appreciate why it's become such an icon in the industry.
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Quote:
I find the existence of multiple incompletely overlapping ways of doing the same task a frustrating part of BIAB, but I suppose it's all related to the long evolution of this product and the need to keep the old method of doing things while introducing new ones to cope with features such as RealTracks.
That is a very good explanation!
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,055
Productor Musical
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Productor Musical
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,055 |
I don't know if this will help exactly. In case of undesirable overlapping/truncated note o phrase, as far as possible I try to fix it inside BiaB in the usual way and also following some tips exposed here. If I get not satisfied with results, there is Plan B; I export all to RealBand, it let me work in the pure audio realm over my RealTracks. Using cut and paste, reverb tails, blending and other specific audio edition techniques I finally fix note overlaping. In that way I even can create a polished stereo audio track with one or more RealTRacks instruments, let us say for example sax, harmonica and trumpet solos, render it to wav/wma file then export it back to BiaB and place in its audio stereo track. Of course I take such procedure only after I am musically happy with my RealTRacks in BiaB. I proceeded same way in my song Latin Cowboy in order to fix some minimal audio flaws from overlapping. The trade tools were RealBand and Cubase.
/ Carlos ----
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
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IMHO, of all the ideas mentioned, Carlos' is the quickest way to get exactly what you want and still use it in BIAB for live performances
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