In the last few weeks, I discovered that the Bar Settings feature in RB doesn't seem to work the same as it does in BiaB. Though I've done some research on this feature by checking the manual and by searching the forums for the existence of any discussions about this feature, my research didn't produce the answers I was looking for. So, I decided to submit this post.

A new song I was working on recently unexpectedly ended up exceeding the 255 bar limit in BiaB. So, I decided to try opening my song in RB so that I wouldn't have to split it into two sections in order to continue working on it in BiaB. But when I opened my song in RB and then tried to apply the same Bar Settings that I had applied in BiaB, I wasn't able to do so because the names on each track didn't correspond to the instruments for each track that were in the style I had selected. So, I ended up splitting my song into two sections and going back to BiaB to finish the arrangement for my song in two stages. Has anyone else encountered this problem with RB's Bar Settings, or am I missing some steps in my attempt to use this feature?

Hi

I think this may be due to Realband using the old legacy track names
Whereas BIAB now uses the actual instrument on the track names.

You can set biab to use legacy names but then you will have to remember which instrument is on the default say piano or guitar track.
But at least they don’t move around.
Mike

Mike is correct. You can change those track names though to the instruments so that they make sense to you so that they are the same as in Man in the Box

Haha. Band in a box

Hi
Yes as said above, the track names in RB are only text labels, and as such you can call them what you like. They only belong to the track name slot (field) not the loaded instrument.
Mike

That's what was confusing me. The actual instrument names weren't being displayed for each track, so I didn't think it would work the same and wasn't in the frame of mind to try to remember which instrument was in each track. Is there a way to make RB display the actual instrument names for each track? That's what I was expecting when I clicked on the Bar Settings button.

"Man in the Box." LOL! I like that! So, how do I change them? Also, if I change an instrument after changing them, will the name of that instrument change automatically, or will I have to change it manually?

hi

See my last post
quote
"Yes as said above, the track names in RB are only text labels, and as such you can call them what you like. They only belong to the track name slot (field) not the loaded instrument."

So they will not follow your instrument change.
Mike

Okay, Mike, I got that. So, is there a way to change those text labels in order to eliminate the confusion between them and the actual instrument names? I've searched everywhere but couldn't find any options to do that.

Hi

Yes and no
That is if they are designated as BIAB tracks as they would be by default if the came from a BIAB SONG (the first 8 tracks with blue names then they can not be changed.

If you reset the track to non BIAB right click on track see pic

You can then change the name by double clicking it.
If you then save as a Realband .SEQ FILE it should stick if that seq file is required again.
Mike

Try this before importing your XML file. Open real band, go to :
Edit/track/make all bb tracks regular tracks.Then file/import.
Import your xml file.

I tried that, Silvertones, but it didn't change any of the labels.

Hi again
If my last post above Sivertone reply does not hep.
You may like to read my much more detailed description of the Realband instrument names in tracks as opposed to track labels, and how I get then to show the correct info particularly on the play though voice. Its quite long but you need to read it all including the end notes.
https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=63093&Number=421946#Post421946

Mike

Mike, after reading through your "Fine tuning" post, I realized that I didn't explain my issue clearly enough for either you or Silvertones to understand. Though I was able to figure out how to change the names of the tracks in the Tracks window in RB, the labels I really want to change are those in the Bars dialog box. Unfortunately, it appears that those labels are unchangeable. Below is an image of the Bars dialog box in RB and an image of the same thing in BiaB that should clarify this issue. As you can see, the labels in the BiaB Bars dialog box correspond to the labels on each channel in the chosen style, but the labels in the RB Bars dialog box are merely the default and don't correspond to any of the BB tracks in the chosen style.

Hi

Oh dear, I see it all now sorry to have gone off down the track display path.
Looks like yet another one for the wish list, It must be possible by pinching some code from BIABs bar options graphics routines I would have thought.

Just the sort of niggle that gripes with me is inconsistency between PGs companion programs and even in the same program in different parts using the same function.

You really should not have to work with fixed default screen labels and make your own notes with a pencil!

Mike

Yeah, the inconsistency between RB and BiaB on this one function was an unpleasant surprise to me. And, of course, I didn't want to have to make a list of which instrument is in each track to constantly refer to as I was changing the settings for certain bars throughout the song. It's already enough of a challenge to remember where I wanted those settings to be changed for each instrument.

When I encountered this obstacle, I decided to try using two BiaB plugins in Tracktion (as Pipeline had suggested in another thread) with the intent of being able to use BiaB's Bar Settings feature there instead. But that didn't work out either because the plugins don't have that feature. So, that's when I decided to go back to BiaB with my song and finish working on it there in two sections. If I have another long song to arrange in the future that exceeds the 255 bar limit, I'll probably run two copies of BiaB (per Pipeline's more recent suggestion) so that I can use each copy of BiaB to work on a different section of my song simultaneously. That's about as close as I'll be able to get to an ideal setup for such songs for the time being until something's done about these default labels in RB. Thanks for trying to help!

I have a similar problem when using BiaB MIDI tracks in my DAW, Studio One Pro. BiaB's labels, I call them track names, only apply to certain parts of BiaB. The track names were a good idea but only had a half baked implementation. Luckily I can change the track names in Studio One Pro. Unfortunately I have to write down the BiaB track names so I can remember what they are supposed to be in my DAW.

One would think at least the track names would be consistent in all of BiaB and RB!

Hi Mario and Muzikluver

Mario
Yes the problem stems from the fact that there is no parameter or command to save track names / label in midi files in the midi spec. only patch names .
The track names you see belong to the applications way of displaying its information
And therefore have to be entered the applications way, in each different application as they cant be embed in the midi file, for export and import of that midi in different applications,

Muzikluver

To help with remembering with what you have done in bar settings you can print or view a summery as a text file. Print summery button bottom left of bar settings popup.
Great help. Not available in Realband wouldn’t you know so you have to do it before leaving BIAB !

Mike

Thanks for that info, Mike. At least there is a way to save the Bar settings info from BiaB. That would be harder to remember than it would be to remember which instrument is on which track, so being able to save it to a text file would be a time saver. Thanks again!