|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 32
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 32 |
While BIAB can convert a mono audio file to MIDI, as far as I know it can't separate the various drum parts from the drum stem into separate MIDI files.
I used a site called fadr. I uploaded my BIAB drum audio and it gave me a GM drum file. I dragged that file into Addictive Drums 2, set up AD2 to receive General MIDI, and it worked perfectly. Everything was in the right place, it sounded like the BIAB file, but now I could change the drum sets and edit the patterns. I made hundreds of changes to tailor the drums to the specific needs of my song. It was so much easier to start with the BIAB drum patterns--which I liked--rather than try to make the whole thing up from scratch on Addictive Drums.
There are other companies that do this conversion, but I was happy with my experience on Fadr. They also separate audio stems, but for drums it's not as good on audio--just Kick, Snare, and Other Drums.
They have some free features, but I paid $10 for a month, as I wanted wav files and not mp3s for the audio stems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,044
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,044 |
It was so much easier to start with the BIAB drum patterns … rather than try to make the whole thing up from scratch… No argument there. I do it a bit differently using Melodyne Studio but it’s a bit fiddly. I’ve a couple of AI tools that claim accurate stem separation for drums but I’ve not met one where reality lives up to marketing (yet?). This sounds promising. Fadr Are you using the $100yr Fadr Pro subscription? Is it all online or is some of the processing done in the box? How much time does it take to render, say, a 3 minute drum track?
BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 32
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 32 |
It was so much easier to start with the BIAB drum patterns … rather than try to make the whole thing up from scratch… No argument there. I do it a bit differently using Melodyne Studio but it’s a bit fiddly. I’ve a couple of AI tools that claim accurate stem separation for drums but I’ve not met one where reality lives up to marketing (yet?). This sounds promising. Fadr Are you using the $100yr Fadr Pro subscription? Is it all online or is some of the processing done in the box? How much time does it take to render, say, a 3 minute drum track? I also have used Melodyne studio for MIDI conversions, but I agree with you--it can be a bit fiddly. It doesn't always get the notes perfectly. That doesn't matter for me with tuning my vocals, but for a piano or drum conversion it does matter. What I liked about this was that it gave me a general MIDI drum file, which meant that it wasn't just notes--it was all set up to work with Addictive Drums, which allowed me to select from a list of things like GM, EZdrummer, etc. I'm not doing a drumbeat-by-drumbeat comparison, but it felt very well done. My song is over four minutes looong and I think it took around a minute or two to upload and then another minute or two to convert. I don't remember it as being an inordinately long wait. It does a conversion to audio stems first and then the MIDI. You choose what you want to download. The only thing that's weird is it produces a few MIDI files and you have to pick the right one. It was pretty easy--it was the biggest one. I'm thinking now that maybe the other ones were stems, like kick, snare, etc. I'm not sure what you get for free with fadr, so you might be able to experiment before paying. I'm using the $10 monthly subscription. If you want a year, you save a few dollars at $100. The monthly works better for me. I will go on and off. It's online and I think it has to be. It's probably hooked up to some kind of neural network. I did have an issue, where I signed up incorrectly and they charged me $100. But they got back to me right away, refunded the $100 and charged me $10. So take your time, and do it better than I did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,044
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,044 |
I have a ton of VIs that I’ve accumulated over the last 20+ years and most are current. Programming from scratch is the headache when time=$. Enter BIAB.
Those are fast processing times indeed. Yeah, Fadr Pro is the only one I’m looking at. One can turn it on and off? I like that. Subscriptions don’t bother me as long as I’m getting something useful but I’d be much, much happier if I could not pay for months I don’t use.
Thanks!
BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
I uploaded my BIAB drum audio and it gave me a GM drum file. BIAB can export MIDI for any RealDrums - simply save your song as a MIDI file, or drag the Chart button from the BB plugin into your DAW. Most likely this will be more accurate than any audio-to-MIDI converter.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,092
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,092 |
BIAB can export MIDI for any RealDrums - simply save your song as a MIDI file, or drag the Chart button from the BB plugin into your DAW. Most likely this will be more accurate than any audio-to-MIDI converter. Question for Simon: Is the MIDI created from the RealDrums Audio, or is it extracted from the associated Transcription? If it is from the transcription, will it be more 'realistic' than the actual RealDrums performance?
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
Question for Simon:
Is the MIDI created from the RealDrums Audio, or is it extracted from the associated Transcription?
If it is from the transcription, will it be more 'realistic' than the actual RealDrums performance? It's created from the transcription, which itself is created from the RealDrums recordings either from using MIDI drum triggers, human transcription, or audio-to-MIDI (or a combination). Making the MIDI sound "realistic" would require a good drum VST.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,564
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,564 |
Simon, I was told at one point that the transcriptions were for education purposes and did not contain dynamics. That makes them of less value for VSTi drums.
I was one of the ‘human transcribers’ you mention. In the early days of RealTracks I did a lot of the sax and guitar solos. My instructions were to make a MIDI file that accurately showed pitch and rhythm but ignored dynamics. The transcriptions were meant to be seen, not heard.
At that time or maybe a few years after, the piano parts were the exception because the parts were played on a digital piano that captured MIDI with velocity at the same time as the audio was recorded.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
Simon, I was told at one point that the transcriptions were for education purposes and did not contain dynamics. That makes them of less value for VSTi drums. For some older Realdrums that's probably the case. These days I believe we use MIDI drum triggers which capture velocity, and we don't strip that out. Take a look at the MIDI from one of the more recent Realdrums and you'll see - SmoothJazzCoolSw16 for example.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,564
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,564 |
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 32
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 32 |
I uploaded my BIAB drum audio and it gave me a GM drum file. BIAB can export MIDI for any RealDrums - simply save your song as a MIDI file, or drag the Chart button from the BB plugin into your DAW. Most likely this will be more accurate than any audio-to-MIDI converter. Thank you Simon. I'll try it next time. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
Thank you Simon. I'll try it next time. Happy to help, and feel free to let us know how it goes!
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,904
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,904 |
I uploaded my BIAB drum audio and it gave me a GM drum file. BIAB can export MIDI for any RealDrums - simply save your song as a MIDI file, or drag the Chart button from the BB plugin into your DAW. Most likely this will be more accurate than any audio-to-MIDI converter. Thanks Simon! This is cool to know. I am not a MIDI expert but I tried this and had issues immediately. So I hope you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong. I have a song that uses _STRUT.STY which includes Metal8ths^ RealDrums. The drums sound great in BIAB. Very balanced and proper sounding. So I tried the following, - in BIAB I solo the drum track in the mixer - I went to the main menu and choose File / Save Special / Save Song as MIDI to save the drum track as MIDI - I opened EZ Drummer - I went to the EZD main menu Track / Import MIDI File and import the BIAB MIDI file - the drums play BUT the snare is quiet in most places compared to everything else and then too loud in some places - this imbalance does NOT occur inside BIAB Am I doing something wrong in this?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,092
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,092 |
Thanks Simon! This is cool to know. I am not a MIDI expert but I tried this and had issues immediately. So I hope you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I have a song that uses _STRUT.STY which includes Metal8ths^ RealDrums. The drums sound great in BIAB. Very balanced and proper sounding. So I tried the following,
- in BIAB I solo the drum track in the mixer
- I went to the main menu and choose File / Save Special / Save Song as MIDI to save the drum track as MIDI
- I opened EZ Drummer
- I went to the EZD main menu Track / Import MIDI File and import the BIAB MIDI file
- the drums play BUT the snare is quiet in most places compared to everything else and then too loud in some places
- this imbalance does NOT occur inside BIAB
Am I doing something wrong in this? If you open the MIDI file in BIAB instead of EZ Drummer, is the imbalance there also?
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,904
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,904 |
Thanks Simon! This is cool to know. I am not a MIDI expert but I tried this and had issues immediately. So I hope you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I have a song that uses _STRUT.STY which includes Metal8ths^ RealDrums. The drums sound great in BIAB. Very balanced and proper sounding. So I tried the following,
- in BIAB I solo the drum track in the mixer
- I went to the main menu and choose File / Save Special / Save Song as MIDI to save the drum track as MIDI
- I opened EZ Drummer
- I went to the EZD main menu Track / Import MIDI File and import the BIAB MIDI file
- the drums play BUT the snare is quiet in most places compared to everything else and then too loud in some places
- this imbalance does NOT occur inside BIAB
Am I doing something wrong in this? If you open the MIDI file in BIAB instead of EZ Drummer, is the imbalance there also? I have no idea how to open a MIDI file on a BIAB track and then assign drums to it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
the drums play BUT the snare is quiet in most places compared to everything else and then too loud in some places
- this imbalance does NOT occur inside BIAB
Am I doing something wrong in this? No, you're doing things right. I also noticed the same issue with the MIDI - unfortunately this is the nature of MIDI drum triggers, and these recordings often require cleanup - not just for velocity, but for mistriggered notes. As we only use the MIDI for notation, we don't really look at the velocity values when editing, as it would take substantially more time to do so. Thankfully other RealDrums are more accurate in regard to velocity - it just happens that the one you chose is not.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,187
Posts801,723
Members40,062
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean