I load a particualr style with Bass, Piano, Drums, Empty, Guitar - in that order. When I work with the style, somehow the labelling gets changed Artist 1, Artist 2, Artist 3, Artist 4 and Guitar. Note that Artist 4 is a guitar which was empty before. Also, sometimes the Audio track is being poulated. All this apprears to me to be some for of corruption coming from somewher, I've never seen it before. Any Ideas please?
That sounds like you have right-clicked on the track and selected Track Actions > Save Track as Performance File.
If so, you should be able to use the "Erase Performance Track" command which will remove the Performance Track.
The Audio Performance Track is actually an audio file.
You mentioned:
Quote
"When I work with the style, somehow the labelling gets changed Artist 1, Artist 2, Artist 3, Artist 4 and Guitar."
What actions do you take when working with the style?
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I had just begun to document how I arrived at my problem and then I discovered what seemed to be the cause.
The song was saved as Song.SGU. This is how it is listed in the folder, even though I have file extensions hidden!
So ... when I saved the Drums WAV file I simple used the Song.SGU and renamed it Song Drums.WAV. Then the Piano WAV was called Song Piano.WAV.
Then I started to get this problem with BiaB renaming of file tracks.
Today, in order to reply to your post, I started to document the process. In doing so I didn't use the same naming for the WAV files.
The song was still listed as Song.SGU, but this time I simply called the Piano wav as Song Piano (no extension) and the drums as Song Drums (no extension)
In this case there was no problem and BiaB worked as expected.
Now, although the song was listed as Song.SGU, the extensions were actually hidden in Windows. So when I had called the wav file Song Piano.WAV, what I had really done was name the file Song Piano.WAV.wav. Now I know that BB just does not like a period in the file name because some years ago this gave me a problem with RealBand. Try putting periods in a RealBand file and it really upsets it. I brought this up at the time with PGMUSIC but they didn't seem to think much of an issue was there.
I suppose that in this current case, if the file had not been listed as having an SGU extension, even though file extensions were hidden, I might have been more careful with my naming.
I still down understand how Song.SGU is listed with an extension when extensions have been hidden though.
Ahhh, it seems you've been caught with the hidden file extensions issue. This came up only a couple of weeks ago with another user trying to resolve a totally different problem (a Splash Screen).
I would suggest checking 'file name extensions' in Windows Explorer. It's a real headache, and quite dangerous too, as other comments in the attached thread will show.
Glad that you got it working.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Yes, but what mystifies me is that the BB Song file DID show the ".SGU" extension, even though file extensions are hidden. How does that come about? There is no difference between the extension in either mode.
But... perhaps ".SGU" is not classed as a known file extension. IAnyway, hI have now been reminded not to trust the additional period.
Yes, but what mystifies me is that the BB Song file DID show the ".SGU" extension, even though file extensions are hidden. How does that come about? There is no difference between the extension in either mode.
But... perhaps ".SGU" is not classed as a known file extension. IAnyway, hI have now been reminded not to trust the additional period.
It was probably named MySong.SGU.WAV The file appeared to have an SGU extension, but the .SGU was actually part of the file name.
I always show file extensions, that way I always know exactly what files I am dealing with. Many of us here agree that file extensions should be turned on by default, but the Windows developers didn't see it that way
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
No, it was definitely the song file with an SGU expension. It shows with ".SGU" when Windows extensions are enabled or disabled. ".SGU" extension is not recognised in my Windows as being related to any particular application and so it does not come under the rules applying to enabled/disabled extensions. This is a problem that PGMUSIC should have dealt with years ago, but hasn't. It is paricurly nasty because of the unpredictable behavious that results. In RealBand this is quite bad. In my workflow I had decided to arranged my songs in numerical order such as 1.Song1, 2.Song2 etc. When I saved the song as an SEQ I got terriible results when retrieving a song, because RealBand thought that anything following the first period was the extension. I informed PGMUSIC at the time and decided not to use periods in my file names. Now, in BiaB it has raised its ugly head again due to the extensions being hidden.
In my workflow I had decided to arranged my songs in numerical order such as 1.Song1, 2.Song2 etc.
Perhaps consider: 1_Song1, 2_Song2 instead?
(I would never use a period character in a file name, but that's just me)
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Additionally, regardless of how it appeared to be a .SGU extension, there were still most probably .WAV or other audio files or similar with those corresponding audio files in the same folder as the .SGU file. Otherwise I don't know how the tracks came to have the Artist names and orange track colors that you identified previously:
I understand that the program adds those files because of the corresponding audio files it has created in the same folder (or something like that).
(PG Music should chip in and elaborate on how this actually works "under the hood".)
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
...".SGU" extension is not recognised in my Windows as being related to any particular application and so it does not come under the rules applying to enabled/disabled extensions.
When BIAB is installed, I thought the various songfile extensions were set. I might be wrong, though. That said, under "File | File Utilities" there is a command to associate BIAB extensions with Windows.
i can say honestly in all my years ive used firstly ptw and then bb/rb ive never had the issue. its piqued my curiosity so gonna investigate further.
to the op read my tips in tips forum might be of help to you sometime. particularly read the points re if your music production pc is on the net and also optimising a pc etc.
im gonna investigate that longway style today.
happiness.
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 10/07/2405:56 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
I know how it happened. BiaB, seeing the early period, it assumed that what followed was an extension, proceeded to become confused about the song it should load. In this case it may well have come across ".WAV" or other extensions. I'm only surprised that it ended up giving me anything sensible. In fact it would have been easier to track if it has crashed.
With regards to file naming, I have been using just that sscheme since the RealBand fiasco - 1_Song1, 2_Song2 and this work very well but, in this current case, the filename had invertently been injected with an additional extension because Windows extensension were hidden.
Anyway, I thank you for all your help and I've learnt a lesson. Hopefully the developers can prevent this as it quite an insidious fault. I would not be difficult.
Audio Track: "I understand that the program adds those files because of the corresponding audio files it has created in the same folder (or something like that)."
From looking at Jonel's screenshot below, Audio Track is right. Because these files have the same name (Song Test Song), BIAB recognizes them, converts the track to audio, and saves the track with the song name combined with the track name called an Artist Performance File.
This also occurs with most audio edits. and is an intentional feature of BIAB and not a bug or fault. They are custom audio tracks that BIAB can use and are a type of UserTrack.
From the UserTrack Forum:
7. Artist Performance Files.
These are audio files, that you put on a track, that can also have the MIDI transcription of it. People hear the audio, and see the MIDI in notation/guitar tab etc. For example, if you are a great bluegrass fiddle player, you could put your songs in this format. People can listen to your real playing, see the notes on screen, slow them down etc. - all inside Band-in-a-Box where they can do other things like solo/mute other tracks, mix them etc.
Hi Charlie, The files shown in the attachment have no connection with performance files, these were only to show differences in ".SGU" extension when Windows extensions were enabled/disabled. The performance files were are result of the poor file handling by BiaB and you are correct with regard to the result.
Hi Charlie, The files shown in the attachment have no connection with performance files, these were only to show differences in ".SGU" extension when Windows extensions were enabled/disabled. The performance files were are result of the poor file handling by BiaB and you are correct with regard to the result.
That's incorrect. The files in that attachment will import and open in the BIAB SGU project that has the same name as the Artist Performance Files. The Windows extension settings may be related to how they may have unintentionally or inadvertently were converted and saved. It doesn't matter if the files originated in a BIAB project or were renamed outside the project. Any file with the same name as the project is always recognized by BIAB program and imported into the project as an Artist Performance File.
To demonstrate this, I saved a random BIAB song demo ZZJazz then selected a random MP3 audio file that had never been in the BIAB song demo and renamed the MP3 to the same name as the song project, ZZJazz and opened the BIAB SGU project and BIAB imported that MP3, converted it to audio and loaded it onto the default audio import track - Audio. The Audio track labels show "Artist" and the track label is Orange as an Artist Performance Track.
There are two ways this conversion can occur. Manually as Audio Track stated. Automatically by BIAB after edits or changes to BIAB generated tracks that are unrelated to a BIAB track generation. An Artist Performance Track can consist of RealTracks, SuperMidi, Midi, Loops, Audio or any combination of these. Files converted automatically will convert to an Artist Performance File but will not show in the folder directory until the file is saved. This only occurs when files and the song are in the same directory. If you attempt to save a track as an Artist Performance File without the project having been first saved, you're prompted to save the project and then do the track conversion again.
The key point is files and project with the same name in the same directory creates Artist Performance Files.
Yes Charlie, I fully agree with what you are saying and you explain it well. If had known this behaviour at the time the problem occurred, I would have spotted my error more quickly. My problem arose because of the way hidden extensions work in BiaB.
Yes Charlie, I fully agree with what you are saying and you explain it well. If had known this behaviour at the time the problem occurred, I would have spotted my error more quickly. My problem arose because of the way hidden extensions work in BiaB.
I think we need some clarification from the BIAB developers on how they handle 'hidden extensions'. My understanding is that these 'hidden extensions' are only provided externally, to the various user displays. The file name and actual true extension is always delivered to programs that request file data from the operating system.
PG Music. Please confirm, does the program ignore filename extensions that are hidden by the O/S? (be prepared, it may be unlikely that we will get a reply)
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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