After 3 years of saving my money I took advantage of the Holiday clearance discount and bought the 2012.5 Everything pak. At first I thought the user's guide was long and now I see it could be three times as long and still not cover everything. Part of the learning curve will definitely be learning the interface on my own and experimenting with the layers of customization. But my experience with forums and the staff suggests I can use the experience of other users to speed it up. I even needed help logging into the forums so I'm not afraid to ask dumb questions.
The question that immediately came to mind is how do I visually identify which bars I've added a solo to using soloist real tracks. I know I could write out my own map to record where I put the solos but when I added a mandolin solo to bars 9-16 and then a banjo solo in bars 25-32 when I return to the main screen there is actually no symbolic indication that I've added those solos to the chord chart. And then when I started adjusting the song length the solos stayed in their respective bars and I started custom moving the bars but I ended up with one stray bar of banjo solo and I can't immediately figure out how to delete it or even locate it. I can hear it but even when I killed the whole soloist part the bar of solo remained. Then I deleted that whole bar and it is still there.
So is there a method of identifying where all the solos are and what bars they are in and how to edit them or delete them individually?
.
Hi Oggy! Welcome to the forum.
Your request might better be answered by moving your song over to RealTracks. I beleive it is included in the everything pak. The way I create projects is like this:
1. Start in BiaB. Get the basic chords in place, write the melody, create intros and endings. The choice of instruments is only tentative at this stage. If I have a soloist at this stage, it is only in a general way.
2. Save the song as BiaB file, then open it up in Realband. This is where I create and edit the solos. I can cut, paste, copy and delete sections of the solo here. Also there is the MultiRiff feature which is not found in BiaB. This gives a whole nother level of power and creativity to making solos using Realtracks. The solo will be on its own track and it will be easy to see where it stops and starts.
Also, the RealBand stage of the project is where I add and edit effects, record acoustic instruments and vocals, and adjust levels for the final product.
Remember that the original song is saved as BiaB form. You can always go back to create one more tracks and then import the track into RealBand.
Try it this way and see if it works for you.
Assuming you used F5 Bar Settings to mute and unmute the solo tracks, there is an answer, but you're not going to like it, Oggy, because it's a brand new feature in BIAB 2013.
In the Memo button, there is a button called Bar Settings. It will give you a summary of everywhere you have used F5, and what was done.
Good reason to upgrade?
ps This is yet another good example of a feature suggested by the users that was implemented by PG Music.
Oh, and here is the exact language from the list of new features for BIAB 2013:
A “Bar Settings summary” report is added, available from the Song Memo and the F5 / Edit Settings for Current Bar dialog. This report lists all settings in the song that have been made in the song.
awesome replies. I can learn a lot from you all. I see that I don't have a bunch of project management operations in the right order. I'm not even looking at the right program interface for the information I want. I haven't even opened RealBand yet. so I'm going to apply some of this advice. maybe even read the whole user's manual.
my internet connection is too slow to view any tutorial videos but fast enough to post messages on the forum.
I can tell this has got every feature I wanted and then some, but I figured the three different interfaces Biab, RB, RT were going to trip me up. I've used Finale in the past and movie editing software and I think this is different because of the exclusive applications for each piece of software. Each one has a form and function and they can be used together or in sequence but no one piece of software has the ability to let you see 100% of the picture. They draw from one another but by adding soloists in Biab the solos became embedded and invisible. And by changing styles and instruments in Biab then I was basically unnecessarily importing real tracks into the midi program. right? better to save the biab file and then reopen it where the tracks and solos already belong in Real band.
The initial results have been good so I look forward to learning to be competent.
Yes, each software has its purpose, but there is a lot of overlap here. I recommend you concentrate on BIAB for the moment, then when you feel solid, move a song into RealBand. You don't need PowerTracks, if that's what you meant by RT, since RealBand replaces it (except for one feature using harmony).
Hi and welcome
I agree with Flatfoot about doing a basic arrangement in 'Band in a Box', I may create several different BiaB arrangements and then open in 'Real Band' to add additional tracks.
I also save files with incremental names. "My Song 01... My Song 02... etc" That way WHEN I screw up and overwrite a good arrangement I can go back to an earlier version.
Real Band has the advantage that you can generate multiple Real Tracks and MIDI tracks of the same Instrument. I will do this with most solo instruments - bass - & keyboards.
Although you can edit them in Real Band, I find it much easier to do in a DAW, where I have access to all my VST instruments and FX. I use Reaper, but any DAW should do the job.
I save the song in all three programs under the same name, so if I need to go back and change something, it's not to big a deal.
Eventually you'll find a way that works best for you.
IIRC F5 Bar Settings for Mute function are quite a few versions older than the current one.
--Mac
Yes, but the Bar Settings summary report is new.