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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 44
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Maybe this has been mentioned, but I don't see it. With BiaB 2010.5 if I have a Song with RealTracks and RealDrums, and try to export it as a Standard MIDI file, I end up with just one track: drums only. If I change all the instruments to MIDI-only, including the RealDrums, I end up with *no* tracks. What's up?
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 44
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Also, as far as I can tell, the message in the "Options for DAW Plug-In" box, "Hold shift during drag to force MIDI," is simply bogus. No matter what, what gets dragged is an audio file.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382 |
Hi Charles,
I just managed to make a Standard MIDI File out of a tune using a MIDI Style using 2010.5, so I know it's possible...
Did you actually switch to a MIDI style, or did you try to export your RealTracks and RealDrums as MIDI by holding down Shift when dragging the tracks to your desktop?
Kent
PG Music
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 44
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OP
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I tried both of those approaches. Switching to a MIDI style has an additional problem: some of the newer (RealTracks) styles are better than older (all-MIDI) styles. But I tried it; I get, at most, a drum track. I also tried the hold-down-Shift method in DAW mode, dragging into Logic; the track drags as audio no matter what.
I'm ready to believe I'm doing something wrong & simple, but I can't see what it would be. I've certainly made MIDI files in the past.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 44
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OP
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Has nobody else run into this problem??
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382 |
Hi Charles, Did you make the Standard MIDI File by going to File - Save Standard MIDI File? I just made a MIDI file of an all-MIDI tune, and it worked just great. Don't forget, if your song contains RealTracks, those instruments will not be included in your MIDI file, and you also can't export a RealTrack as MIDI. You can render a MIDI performance as audio, but not the other way around. This is just a limitation of audio, it contains no note information. If you're exporting RealTracks into Logic, you can just do it as audio, it'll work just fine. If you have an all-MIDI tune that you can't make a proper MIDI file out of, I'll be happy to take a look at it. You can send your song to support@pgmusic.comThanks Kent PG Music
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 44
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OP
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Thanks, Kent. It's now working, both save-as-MIDI-file and dragging tracks. I cannot figure out what was going wrong before (repeatedly), since I'm convinced I'm following the same steps. But user error somehow, I'm sure.
The important limitation remains: in order to get MIDI tracks you have to choose a MIDI-only style. Many of the newer styles are much better, not because they have RealTracks, but because the styles themselves are better. No way I can see to get those, with MIDI.
The only solution I've found -- I haven't tested it thoroughly yet -- is to open the song with a good RT style, open the Style Maker, and select "none" for each RT track, save the style under a new name , and get rid of the RealDrums track. A bit messy, but it may work.
problem with this step: even after rebuilding the Style list, the new one doesn't seem to be showing up under "All Styles" --?
Last edited by Charles Hartman; 08/26/10 07:11 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382 |
Hi Charles,
If you remove the RealTracks from a RealStyle, I'm pretty sure you're going to end up with a blank style, not with MIDI performances of the RealTracks...
If you search for "StylePicker Edit" in the Help file, you'll find detailed instructions on how to add your custom styles to the list though.
Why not just use the RealTracks as audio? I guarantee a guitar RealTrack will sound better than your best VST synth trying to fake a guitar, for example...
Kent
PG Music
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 44
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OP
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Joined: Nov 2009
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"Why not just use the RealTracks as audio? I guarantee a guitar RealTrack will sound better than your best VST synth trying to fake a guitar, for example..."
1. That's not so true of bass or piano, I find. (Guitars I do myself.) I have a number sampled libraries. Is the BiaB RealTracks acoustic bass better than a sampled acoustic bass triggered by MIDI? Often it is, not always.
2. More simply, with audio tracks I can't change my mind about instrumentation later on (do I want acoustic or electric piano?) without leaving my Logic workspace, going back to BiaB and remaking the tracks and reimporting them.
3. I can't manipulate audio tracks in the same way as MIDI. For example, since BiaB still doesn't do ritards, I have put them in in Logic, and Logic seems to handle that more flexibly with MIDI than with audio, especially in extended ritardando endings. More important, I can't tweak individual notes, and I do a *lot* of that when using BiaB tracks as the basis of bg parts in recording.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382 |
Hi Charles,
That does make sense, and piano and bass are probably the easiest instruments to fake with a really good software instrument. Unfortunately, I think you'll either have to use the RealTracks as they are, or use a MIDI style.
Sorry I don't have a better solution for you.
Kent
PG Music
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 44
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 44 |
No, that's good -- thanks. I still can't figure out why the MIDI file wasn't working before, but I'll just write it off to user brain-paralysis.
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