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One of the most challenging tasks working in BIAB for me is controlled pauses between bars.
There are a couple of "workarounds", such as creating a bar with single beat, tempo change and that sort of tricks, but I rarely get musically what I need and ending up compromising.

Request is to be able to simply insert a "pause" without chords, like you would insert a bar into Chord view and simply define it in seconds. Simple decimal view.

Given nature of BIAB programming, sometimes composition is way too tight and needs "breathe pauses" to sound more natural.

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+1


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Good idea Misha so
+1


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There is merit in that suggestion.
+1 from me also.


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Some of the need might go away if we got non-integer tempos, but likely not all of the need.

Good idea. +1


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Matt,
I don't believe non-integer tempos will solve this one, as it will have musical content / instructions within that bar, given current setup: stretched, pitched RTs and MIDI. What I am talking about is a no chord n/c - no sound pause, that can be controlled by entering a decimal number. For example entering 2.5 will create a 2 1/2 seconds muted blank... lets call it a bar.

In another words, it will not act as a timed "pause" as far as transport goes, everything will still play, but it would create that blank, free of instruments no-chord block.

Alternative to this request is to be able to create a No Chord bar and specify time in terms of seconds how long it should play for, regardless of the beats in it - as it will have no musical instructions to follow, except for time you enter.

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Misha, I believe the term you are looking for a timed fermata.


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Mario, indeed, you are correct.
and that is likely how it should look (and be written) in notation, but in BIAB chord view, it could look visually something like a part marker or colored bar that essentially "disconnects" all the running data streams (No Chord) from RTs/MIDI and just produce a controlled pause entered in seconds... and as you rightfully noted, be translated as fermata in notation view.

Or, this probably can be extremely simplified and baked into bar settings. For example type in N/C (No Chord) right in the bar cell of Chord View (this was requested by few people before) and have option in Bar Settings either change tempo OR define length of the bar in terms of real time - seconds.

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Thanks, yes, I know what you are asking for. Remember, I'm agreeing with the wish. +1

I can do timed fermatas in my notation software. I do it all the time (bad pun intended).

About the NC:

It's not quite that "a few people have requested" support for NC before. I've been on this case literally for over two decades, mostly a voice in the wilderness. It's actually not a request to add anything, it's a request to implement what has already been there, for decades. At least 26 years, in fact. Look in the file /BB/Data/pgshortc.txt and you'll see a built-in shortcut for NC. It's supposed to enter C. but it just doesn't work. Each time I bring it up, I get an "Oh, Yeah, you're right". Then more years go by.

With non-integer tempos, that C. could be given a percentage value, or a fraction of a beat. Even without non-integer tempos, it could be given a specific time in the tempo being use at the moment, such as a quarter note or sixteenth note.

I don't care how it's done, but if the function is there for 26 years, it should work. Then it should be enhanced to do what you suggest: control the length. I still think that, to implement a 2.5 second pause that works in any tempo you might use, non-integer tempos must be supported.

I really hope your post gets traction. It could be an important step toward increased realism.


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