Created a track in BIAB and then transferred to RB and saved in my RB folder so it saved as a SEQ file. Decided to add a solo track. I can do that in BIAB using the soloist button which gives me some control of where the solo plays.

No such button in RB (or is there?) Decided to generate a RealTracks soloist throughout the whole song and simply delete the bits I didn't want.

Right click track and choose generate etc etc. But only two bars or so were generated over the drum count in and a bit further.

Tried several times then thought laterally. Opened the original BIAB track (SGU not SEQ) and everything worked fine - complete track generated.

I do all my editing etc in PT cos I'm used to it. Saved song with new solo as a seq file, opened in PT, exported the solo to a wav file and then imported to the original seq file which I had done a bit of editing on.

So now the original seq file has a solo. Long and laborious but sounds good.

Two questions.

1) Is there a soloist dialogue in RB I haven't found?

2) Can I only generate a new RealTracks track successfully if I work on a sgu fle not a seq? If that's true then I need to get my RB tracks right before I save them to seq files which seems odd.

Can I overwrite the original BIAB file from RB and not save as a seq?

RB will only generate whatever section is highlighted. So you need to adjust your generation view to be more DAW inspired; work on this track from here to here.
That may explain your situation in RB if your From-Thru settings are not selecting the whole track.

You can right-click and Select Whole Track (CTRL+A)

The whole blue track designation also comes into play.

When you open an SGU file, the BB track names turn blue in RB and behave differently. You can change this using Track-Make all tracks regular tracks .. then the tracks behave like DAW tracks where you have to highlight the area you want generated.
When they are BiaB tracks they can all generate at once.

One of the differences between RB and BiaB.
If you open a SEQ file it'll likely have 'regular tracks' .. but if you open a BiaB file it acts more like BiaB

Yes, you can save a SGU or MGU file as a SGU or MGU file in RealBand. Click on File > Save As ... then select Band-in-a-Box songs from the Save as type drop down menu.

thanks rharv and Jim. all sorted. RB it seems to me either acts an extension to BIAB or a DAW depending on hos its used and unles you make allowances for that you won't get the result you need. just one further question to save me experimenting if i work on a sgu file in RB then save as an sgu file in the original BIAB folder can I overwrite the original BIAB file or not?

I'm pretty sure if you save an SGU from RealBand to the original location of the BIAB file (as long as it's not currently/concurrently open in BIAB, in which case it should be locked), you will definitely overwrite the original file. I would give it a different name, at least initially, to make sure all is working well. They are small files and don't take up much space.

Yes, you can write over a file in the BB directory, but I do not suggest doing this until you fully understand the differences in an RB saved BB file and a BB saved file.

Put simply; RB files saved as BiaB files may lose some data.
So it is best practice to keep the original BiaB file (just in case) and save the RB file to a different name. This way you have both for reference. If you later feel comfortable deleting one or the other, fine, but losing work should always be avoided or intentional. At least in my opinion.

Like John mentioned, the BiaB files are pretty small, so think before overwriting them, as there isn't much to lose by keeping them for reference later.

I use a date stamp here in the file name to recognize them.

Example;
Biab file may be named SongName.SGU
My RB file would then be saved as SongName_RB_180309.SGU .. so I know the source of the file (showing an RB file saved to BB format) and the date I did it ..
180309 would equal YYMMDD (year-month-date) so 180309 = 2018-March-9th.

Just my way of referencing things.

still having trouble when I open a seq file in Real Band. If I want to generate a RealTrack to add a part even if I select the whole track and then choose generate all I get is a few bars.
Tried setting the 'from............ to' settings to match the whole track but all i got was two bars again.

I create songs in BIAB and the transfer to RealBAnd and save as a seq file for editing in PT. So I always have the original BIAB file, and opening the original BIAB file in RealBand I can then generate a whole track, export to wav and then reimport to the seq file.

Can I generate a whole track in RealBand when I open a seq file?

I like working with seq files in PT as its a simple program and I'm used to it - without the added bits that RealBand gives me. But sometimes I want to add to a seq file and RealBAnd should be able to do it

If its possible can someone walk me through generating a whole RealTrack in a seq file using RealBand? Please?

Bob, I don't seem to have this problem. PT/RB can trade SEQ files, with each acting as expected. Can you post an example file, maybe in DropBox or something?

Or as a test, try using Save As to make a copy of the SEQ file and see if the copy still misbehaves. If not, something in the original file may have become corrupt. If this is the case, my next suggestion would be to select the whole track (CTRL _ A) and use the Track - Consolidate Track option. This writes the track to one contiguous chunk of data (in case any of the bits get confused by the temp file/chunk settings).

Once you start making edits on a track RB and PT will write the edited 'chunks' as smaller file sections that get read in series; sometimes forcing them to all become one 'chunk' again can fix weird issues like this, especially if a plugin is involved .. and then if this fixes things I'd note the plugin as a possible suspect.

what I'm trying to do is to write a new blank audio track in RB. Works fine with sgu files but won't witha seq filw. Control A doesn't seem to select the whole track and trying the from to setting doesn't seem to either with seq files but does with sgu files

will post a file if I can manage it!

seq file is too big to post

Bob,

Some thoughts that occurred to me...

1. Have you installed the latest update?

I only quickly scanned the above posts so I may have missed it but I don't recall seeing 'build 5' mentioned. If you don't have this update, it can be obtained from the link below.

http://www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm

2. Are you running RB as administrator? (I'm guessing that you are. If not, though, try this.... close RB, right-click on the RB start-up shortcut and select "Run as administrator" to start the program.)

3. When you go to generate a track are you using the BIAB-reserved tracks (these have track names in blue text) or the non-BIAB tracks (names in black text)?

Although generating works on both types of track, try one of the non-BIAB ones if you've only been experimenting with the BIAB-reserved ones.

4. To select the entire track, try right clicking on the track and selecting "Select whole track" from the menu that pops up.

5. Lastly, does the SEQ file that you're loading into RB have a chord progression saved to it? RB won't be able to generate anything if a chord progression not present.

Apologies if I've covered ground that others have already dealt with.

Regards,
Noel

Obvious question that I have not seen address is if you have EVER been able to do what you want to do and it stopped working or has it never worked? I can't imagine the latest update fixing it if it has never worked, as that is not a listed bug that build 5 fixed, BUT you should do it anyway.

The only thing I would try that has not yet been suggested is to move down 10 like track 12 and try it well away from the rest of the song. If that doesn't help, then send this to support. The code monkeys here are seriously good programmers. If they can't fix it it can't be fixed. They are THAT good.

As they tell me when I complain (too often!) if this was an inherent bug, they would be swamped with reports of it happening. You may need to do a fresh install from square zero. Because it isn't a "crash" type event that creates an error message at a specific memory register in the software they don't have a lot to work with. "Working, but not working right" is so much harder to address than "causing a fatal error" when working with computer code. Then add to that when it is something that is isolated to just one user. I have an issue with undoing a generated part (as opposed to deleting the track) but I seem to be the only one who sees it, so it's the same kind of situation.

Not that I'm aware of; you just generate a new track in RB using a realtrack, Soloist is more of a BB term

No, SEQ files should be able to generate new tracks freely, this is an odd behavior you describe, so getting a copy of the SEQ file would be nice. Have you checked out Dropbox as an upload option? It usually will allow a SEQ size file.. and has free options.

Wish I could help more, but what you describe has been done regularly for years here. Something seems amiss with how you're setup or how you are trying it..

First..... click on an existing track and select WHOLE TRACK.

Now select a new, empty track. It should be highlighted in it's entirety.

Choose the real track SOLO track (vs Rhythm) and let it generate.

Use volume automation and nodes to bring the solo up where you want it and down where you don't. Doing this lets you edit with copy/paste if there's a better solo elsewhere in the song.

Hi Bob,

Which version and build of RealBand are you running? You can find out by clicking on the Help menu, then About RealBand.

I'm wondering what numbers are in the "Start" and "End" boxes in the RealBand toolbar, and exactly where you're clicking to generate these RealTracks.

I can open any SEQ file, whether it started as a BIAB file or not, or even just hit File - New, right-click on an empty track, go to Generate - Select and Generate RealTrack, choose one, and click OK, and the track fills with audio. Does this work on a blank file?

Feel free to send a song file that has this problem to support@pgmusic.com, we'll be happy to check it out. If the file is too big to send as an email attachment, you can upload it to Sendspace or Dropbox, and paste the download link into the email.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

Kent from support is likely your best option for a solution.

That said; have you tried right-clicking a track (anywhere) and selecting 'Track- Make all BiaB tracks regular tracks' ?

Just a thought. When a BiaB file is opened in RB the BiaB tracks try to act like BiaB tracks .. but when changed to regular tracks they act more like DAW tracks. Like I said, just a thought. Struck me on the ride home ..

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0p8ftblz1qqdqxp/up%20on%20the%20roof%20copy.SEQ?dl=0

that's the link to the file
2 generated tracks - one when I select whole track and then generate and one when I set from to to start at bar 3

both only give me a few bars with seq files but with sgu or mgu files i get a complete track

I'm using 2018 v5

obviously i'm doing something wrong and the answer is quite simple

a step by step walk through might help although I think I'm doing it right

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm........seems to work fine on another seq track. the posted track is a copy - is it corrupt in some way?

Hi Bob,

You've entered 1 and 1 in those "Start" and "End" boxes I was asking about, so RealBand thinks your song is extremely short.

Try changing those numbers to 3 and 84, should solve your problem.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

Thanks Kent - I was setting the 'from to' at the bottom and i didn't get the hang of the song offset to allow for the drum count in

still a bit hazy about the whole process but i can play around with it

funnily enough the other tracks that worked had the correct start and end bars entered in the boxes at the top

must just have been a glitch with that file
knew it had to be a simple matter but how that single fle had 1 and 1 I don't know.............

thanks anyway

Bob,

Maybe this will help with understanding the bar offset a bit better...

The image below shows the bar offset settings (#1 on image).

The reason that it's usually set to -2 is to allow the 2-bar count-in that BIAB has when SGU/MGU files are loaded. Such a setting permits the song to follow the normal convention of the music starting at bar 1.

From a song layout perspective, if you have 'Bar Offset' set to -2 and then load in a BIAB file you'll see two bars (that is, bars "-1" & "0") before the song starts playing at bar 1. These first two bars are the 'offset' bars.

The settings below Bar Offset (that you had set to 1 and 1), tell the song which RB bar number is the first bar of the song (i.e. 'Start') and which bar number is the last bar of the song (i.e. 'End'). Having both set to 1 is saying "This song is 1 bar long".

Because you had the Bar Offset set to 0, this meant that if your song had a 2-bar count-in, it wouldn't start until bar 3 (hence Kent's comment about setting 'Start' to 3).

The settings on the image below say the following....

1) Bar Offset = -2 (this means a 2-bar lead-in before the song starts)

2) Start = 1 (this means the song will start at what RB has defined as bar 1 on the bar counter)

3) End = 32 (this means the song finishes at RB's bar #32)

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Noel

Same for me; i rarely work and worked with Realband (v5 BTW) because of these erroneous behaviors .... just found out that soloing a real track over a selected few bars won't work with RT 2691 over the selected area, on a fresh track here see below. All you get, if it works at all, is just a bar at the beginning ....

Besides, generating RealTrack solos in BIAB is also a problem, especially when there are beat-count measure changes in a song arrangement as in this one .... sort of get fed up with this; just got my real REAL strat-guitar out of the closet to do the job for now.

PS i an running the whole darn windows 1803 being administrator, and even when i select run as administrator is behaves the same ... And solo-generating the whole track just gives you only some dispensed useless solo pieces over only a few bars .. see picture 3. F

Hi Fiddler,

This appears to be a different issue.

Can you please send the song file to support@pgmusic.com, and let us know in the email which measures you're referring to?

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

Hi Kent, I'll have to fiddle with it or make a special version then; it's a piece in the process of writing and not registered yet LoL. F

Just to clarify my original problem some BIAB tracks worked fine but on some the start/end bars and offset seemed to have been set wrongly (not by me!) and having just upgraded from 2008 BIAB to 2018 and using RB for the first time there were settings I was unfamiliar with