PG Music Home Forums PG Music Wishlists Band-in-a-Box Wishlist BIAB needs two-monitor capability

Most computer users today have two monitors. I think. Just imagine, if you had two monitors and BIAB had functionality on both, how much easier it would be to work with a song.

In particular, I am thinking about having the original version on screen 1 and a copy on screen 2. Or, maybe having a problematic version on screen and an earlier version that may not be the best but is roughly correct in the notes and lyrics. That way, you could copy sections you need from one screen and just drag the across and insert them where they were needed instead of doing it "longhand.".

Smarter people than I will immediately see the need and use of this and hopefully put up a hue and cry to BIAB to plan this for the very near future.

Natcheztoo

Here is one good reason to want BIAB to open on two monitors:

I have a song with three verses and two choruses. I want to swap verses 1 and 3. I cannot find any simple way to do this in BIAB 2024. However, if I could open a music score on monitor #1 and then "cut" verse one and drop it in a score on monitor #2, then it would be easy to cut verse #3 and put it where verse #1 was. Then, going to monitor #2, I would copy verse #1 and drop in back into the original score where verse #3 had been.

Voila!

Maybe some of you have found an easy way to swap verses or other things. I have not been able to. So, if you have, please let me know.

Natcheztoo

I would need to test this, but there is a setting in Preferences to allow more than one copy of BIAB to run concurrently. However. I recall that copying between the two instances (copy/paste) did not work at one point. I do not remember if that was ever fixed.

Being technically deficient - and that is a dangerous defect to have with BIAB, i have started relying on ChatPg, Copilot (AI embedded in my MS browser) and ChatGPT Open AI to try and solve the mysteries of BIAB.

First I tried ChatPG then Copilot. All I got from then was a page of information, most of which seemed irrelevant and did not solve my problem. Then I went to ChatGPT Open AI and queried it:

"Using Band In A Box 2024 on my Windows 11 computer, I have a song with three verses and two choruses: 1 Verse, 2 Chorus, 3 Verse, 4 Chorus (repeat), 5 Verse. I want to swap verses #1 and #3. I see no easy way to do that in BIAB. However, it seems to me - based on information you gave me yesterday - that by using cut, copy, and paste it might be fairly easily accomplished. Can you outline that method for me again?"

This is what ChatGPT Open AI sent. i was too tired after midnight when I got this answer to try it and I have not yet. But, I believe it will work:

"Corrected Method to Swap Verses #1 and #3:
Cut Verse #1:

Go to the Chords & Melody view (or Song Form).
Select the entire Verse #1 section (highlight it).
Press Ctrl + X (or right-click and select Cut) to remove Verse #1 from its original position and hold it in memory.
Copy Verse #3:

Now, go to the Verse #3 section (the one that will be moved to the Verse #1 position).
Select the entire Verse #3 section.
Press Ctrl + C (or right-click and select Copy) to copy Verse #3 into memory.
Paste Verse #3 in Verse #1's Location:

Move to the Verse #1 position where you want Verse #3 to go.
Press Ctrl + V (or right-click and select Paste) to paste Verse #3 in Verse #1's position.
Paste the Cut Verse #1 into Verse #3's Location:

Now, move to the Verse #3 position (where Verse #1 used to be).
Press Ctrl + V (or right-click and select Paste) to place Verse #1 into Verse #3's original position.
Final Check:
After completing these steps, you should have:
Verse #3 in the position of Verse #1.
Verse #1 in the position of Verse #3.
The Choruses and Verse #5 remain unchanged.
This method is the most efficient and simple way to swap the verses. Does this approach work for what you're looking to do?"

It seems eminently simple and workable. So much so, that I am embarrassed I did not figure this out on my own. What do you think? Does it make sense to you.

Mr. Finley, I surely appreciate people like you on the BIAB forum who are willing to devote time and effort to help "lost souls like me."

Thank you.

Jerry Krouse (Natcheztoo)
"

Please be careful. Save your song under another name before trying this.

I’m reading quickly, but as a former comp sci prof I’m baffled by the approach here. Did they ever save the cut verse 1? Unless I missed something, they are not using copy paste correctly.

It is more likely my explanation of the process that is in question.
I think that the ChatGPT Open AI process is essentially correct. Let me see if I can synopsize:

1) Mark verse #1 and "cut" it. It will be held in memory (wherever that is) until needed.
2) Mark verse #3 and "copy" it.
3) Clear the bars where verse #1 used to reside.
4) Paste the copied verse #3 into those bars.
5) Now retrieve the "cut" verse #1 from memory and paste it into the empty (supposedly) bars where verse #3 used to be.

I hope that is clearer. It is as close as I could get to what I think AI was saying. It actually makes sense to me (ha!) but until I have accomplished it, I am reserving judgement. I'll report back either way.

What do you think after reading my "synopsis?"

Jerry

The current version does allow chords to be copied from one instance and pasted into another.

Thanks Audio Track.

Excellent. Good to know.

Well, I think Step #2 overwrites the data stored from Step #1. You would have to be using a utility like Clipboard Manager that can store multiple entries.

< Well, I think Step #2 overwrites the data stored from Step #1. >

This is correct. However, a utility like Clipboard Manager should not be necessary.
For most songs, there are enough empty bars beyond the end of the project to store the copied bars.

For instance, if the project has 96 bars and a verse is 8-12 bars, select and copy verse #1 into grey bars below the end of the song. Then copy verse #3 and paste it over verse#1, cut verse #1 from the grey area and paste it over verse#3. I tested and copy/cu/paste works within the greyed out bars without issue.

Charlie is right of course. My suggestion of a clipboard manager is if you want to do the paste in place to follow the suggested steps above. I don't mess with that, though; I do it the way Charlie suggests.

I think most computer users these days use a laptop and don't have a secondary monitor - or they don't even own a computer and simply use their cellphone or tablet. However, in the field of music and audio multiple monitors is prevalent.

That's already possible simply by opening two BIAB windows, one on each screen. There is an option you need to enable first - go to Options > Preferences, then check the box for Allow Multiple Instances in the lower left. Now you can open 2 separate BB windows - though keep in mind if you're using ASIO your audio driver may not support multiple clients.

That has been fixed, a few years ago I think.

Thanks for the info, Simon. This was a user request and I’m glad it’s fulfilled. AudioTrack verified that the current version works. I didn’t know how far back it has worked.

Simon and Matt,

Amazing. I've got two BIABs open at the same time on two monitors. For a technological dummy, that is not bad.

Before I blow anything up, do you think I can just copy from one monitor to the other and paste?

I have a song in this form:
1st Verse
Chorus
2nd Verse
Chorus
3rd Verse

And I want to swap the 1st and 2nd verses. Any instructions before I try it would be appreciated.

Natcheztoo (Jerry Krouse)

BTW, the way I opened two BIABs on adjacent monitors is because I have a 2024 32 bit on my desktop and a 2024 64 bit on my task bar. I can't quite imagine how I will get bars from one monitor to the other with two different versions of BIAB. That is why I asked instructions.

Jerry

From my experimentation, the copy/paste chords (using the mouse) between two instances works, but you need to know that while chords are copied, other items such as style, start/end chorus, repeats don't seem to be included in the paste when using the mouse select method. Only the selected chords are copied.

You need to experiment further to make sure everything you need gets delivered.

Yep, copying back and forth should work fine. Easiest way to swap verses is to just copy and paste them as such.

To open two copies of the same app without using a desktop shortcut, middle click or shift-click on the icon on your taskbar.