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Posted By: blue-moves transpose only selected chords? - 02/10/12 04:30 PM
transpose only selected chords?

is it possible? i haven't found a way...

sometimes in the middle of a tune i want to transpose just a section of the chord sequence - would be good if there was a way you could select those chords and transpose them en masse - at the mo i have to go through and re-type them all.. (and i'm too lazy for that malarky!)

thoughts?
Posted By: Cerio Re: transpose only selected chords? - 02/10/12 05:18 PM
Select the chords, then Edit -> Transpose -> Transpose From...To... -> You're done.
Posted By: blue-moves Re: transpose only selected chords? - 02/10/12 05:31 PM
forgot to say - i'm on a mac.. 'edit > transpose' works only globally.. *grumble*
Posted By: Forecast Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/06/17 03:15 PM
I realize that I am responding to a pretty old post, but years later this user still hasn't been able to find an easy way to transpose selected chords in BIAB UltraPAK for Mac 2017 (which I love, overall) without transposing the whole song.

Here's a workaround I use, assuming transposing selected chords still isn't a function native to 2017 BIAB.

With the project I'm working on open and saved (C major), I selected and copied the chord progression I wanted to transpose; next, I opened a new project (it turned out it was in the same style as my original project and in C major -- not sure whether that matters or not); and then, I pasted the selected progression in Bar 1.

After that, I clicked on the "key" button and changed the key from C major to D major, and the chords I pasted were automatically transposed up two semi tones, which is what I wanted.

Finally, I copied and pasted the transposed chords back into to my original project. The whole operation took less than a minute, which was much faster and more accurate than retyping 12 chord symbols in this case.

It would be a great upgrade to be able to select a chord progression and then go to "Selected Chord(s) Transposition" in a menu and type in the number of semitones for the transposition, up or down.

If something like this already exists, I obviously haven't found it and would like to know if it does in fact exist and where to access it.

If there's an easier workaround, please share it.
Posted By: AudioTrack Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/06/17 07:53 PM
I'm not aware of a feature to do this for specific chords, but if not there, the idea has merit.

BTW, welcome to the forums.
Posted By: Matt Finley Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/06/17 09:02 PM
Welcome, Forecast. Just to clarify, this function has already exited for years in the PC version. Cerio, above, gave the steps, and it works beautifully.

Are you saying the Mac version does not have this command? If so, then

+1 to make the Mac version match the PC version
Posted By: Forecast Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 07:27 AM
Thanks for your reply, Matt. Where would I find the transposition steps Cerio provided?
Posted By: Noel96 Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 08:05 AM
Forecast,

With the Windows version of the program, the tool is found under "Edit | Transpose".

Regards,
Noel
Posted By: MarioD Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 08:46 AM
Forecast, Cerio's method is even easier if you highlight the measures you want to transpose. This way the transfer from and how many bars windows are already filled in for you.

Good luck.
Posted By: Matt Finley Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 10:33 AM
It’s the Edit menu, Transpose, Transpose From .. To. Choose key.

Highlight the bars first and they are already selected, as just mentioned.

Unless the Mac version doesn’t have this?
Posted By: raymb1 Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 01:55 PM
Doesn't cut and paste work in Mac? This works for me when I want to copy selected chords.
Posted By: Matt Finley Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 04:37 PM
Ray, I think it does but how does that help him transpose just a section?
Posted By: Pipeline Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 06:48 PM
Originally Posted By: raymb1
Doesn't cut and paste work in Mac? This works for me when I want to copy selected chords.


I tried running 2 instances of MacBB transposed one and copied a section but it would not paste into the other instance like you can with the audio edit window.

You can add it to the chart Band-in-a-Box Feature Comparison Chart - Windows Versus Mac

But let's see in we get a Cross-platform 64bit Biab at the end of the year.
Posted By: raymb1 Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 07:36 PM
My bad! Read OP's post too quickly.
Posted By: Matt Finley Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 07:46 PM
Pipeline, I assume you first verified that Transpose From To is not available on the Mac version.

Blue moves, looks like it won’t work on the Mac version of BIAB.

You could consider getting the PC version and a utility to run that on the Mac. It may sound strange but Dr. Peter Gannon (the PG of PG Music) develops the program that way.

In the meantime as Pipeline said, this needs to go in the Mac version Wishlist.
Posted By: Pipeline Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 09:28 PM
I will have to sit down one day and go through them both side by side.
But, I think will wait n see what happens at the end of the year.

Attached picture MacBB_Transpose.png
Attached picture WinBB_Transpose.jpg
Posted By: Matt Finley Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/07/17 11:21 PM
Thanks!

+1 for the original request (Mac version only). It's a very useful function.
Posted By: Pipeline Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/08/17 12:23 AM
Here's a Mac/Win Menu Comparison, Win users can use it to support Mac users, just pause the videos to read, if you download the video it will play clear:

Watch Mac https://www.dropbox.com/s/iey9mhehz9cdxrq/MacBB_Menu.mp4?dl=0
Download Mac https://www.dropbox.com/s/iey9mhehz9cdxrq/MacBB_Menu.mp4?dl=1

Watch Win https://www.dropbox.com/s/3vh5pejrfyaaoa6/WinBB_Menu.mp4?dl=0
Download Win https://www.dropbox.com/s/3vh5pejrfyaaoa6/WinBB_Menu.mp4?dl=1

Click No Thanks Continue if you get a login
Posted By: Forecast Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/08/17 08:23 AM
The three transposition options in the Edit menu (on a Mac) are, as follows: Transpose Down 1 semitone, Transpose UP 1 semitone, and Transpose # of semitones.

Even when four bars of chords have been selected, for example, all of the transposition options above still transpose the entire song/project (instead of just the chords I chose), which is why I went with my workaround.

So, it looks like the Mac version of BIAB doesn't have the command, which you have described.
Posted By: Forecast Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/08/17 10:08 AM
Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
Thanks!

+1 for the original request (Mac version only). It's a very useful function.


Sounds great, but how do I "engage" +1? I have no experience with this; so, if you wouldn't mind explaining it a bit more, I'd appreciate it.
Posted By: Forecast Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/08/17 10:29 AM
The Mac Edit menu doesn't have the option: Transpose From...To. Therein lies the problem for Mac users, so it appears.
Posted By: Matt Finley Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/08/17 06:40 PM
You already did your part, Forecast. You discovered something you need, and we verified it is (surprisingly) not in the Mac version. We put “+1” on posts like this to indicate to the developers who see these suggestions that we support the request. I’m sorry but we all have to wait for the next version to see if it’s implemented by PG Music.
Posted By: MarioD Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/08/17 08:28 PM
Although I am a Windows BiaB user I will add my +1 for all the Mac versions of BiaB.

Maybe if BiaB was a VSTi then both OSes would have the same version.
Posted By: Forecast Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/10/17 06:35 AM
[quote=Matt Finley] You discovered something you need, and we verified it is (surprisingly) not in the Mac version. We put “+1” on posts like this to indicate to the developers who see these suggestions that we support the request.

Thanks for this info, Matt.
Posted By: AudioTrack Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/10/17 06:54 PM
If it's not there now, it needs to be.
+1
Posted By: Matt Finley Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/10/17 07:43 PM
I posted about this in the developers area, but only for PC since I can’t post in the Mac area. One of us will follow through to be sure it is seen by PG Music.
Posted By: Forecast Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/10/17 10:56 PM
A BIAB technical support technician recently concurred via email that the "Transposition From..To.." command that's already in the PC version also needs to be in the Mac version, and he has made a formal request to developers to bring this about, hopefully in 2018.
Posted By: Matt Finley Re: transpose only selected chords? - 09/11/17 01:10 AM
Excellent.
Posted By: nonchai Re: transpose only selected chords? - 12/19/17 02:21 PM
Originally Posted By: Forecast
A BIAB technical support technician recently concurred via email that the "Transposition From..To.." command that's already in the PC version also needs to be in the Mac version, and he has made a formal request to developers to bring this about, hopefully in 2018.


I think this just reiterates how much it is - high time that PG Music spend some developer resources to finally bite the bullet and consolidate their code-base to be truly cross-platform - due to the many lacking features in the OSX version compared to Windows.

We OSX users are second-rate citizens. And yet the Mac is clearly the preferred operating system and computers used by most pro musicians and producers who use computers as their way of music creation or performance.

There is still some ugly PASCAL based bits of code and GUI going right back to the days of the ATARI ST. PG Music are just too unwilling to commit developer resources to remove it. Which would involve a rewrite of some code in a modern language.

And also the most pain-free, low latency and most supported platform audio-wise. Hence why even now in 2017 it is still a free - independently developed audio driver ASIO - and other bits of middleware that one is forced to use if one wants low latency with ones DAW on Windows - even Windoze 10.

I cannot think of another music software company that has a constant release-version disparity and long lag between the windows and OSX version.

The version numbers get a different release date - and yet EVEN when version numbers match for a few months - say 2017 - it is the case that feature sets don't match.

Shoddy.

Yet PG has been getting away with this for decades.
Posted By: Island Soul Re: transpose only selected chords? - 12/24/17 05:25 PM
Originally Posted By: nonchai
Originally Posted By: Forecast
A BIAB technical support technician recently concurred via email that the "Transposition From..To.." command that's already in the PC version also needs to be in the Mac version, and he has made a formal request to developers to bring this about, hopefully in 2018.


I think this just reiterates how much it is - high time that PG Music spend some developer resources to finally bite the bullet and consolidate their code-base to be truly cross-platform - due to the many lacking features in the OSX version compared to Windows.

We OSX users are second-rate citizens. And yet the Mac is clearly the preferred operating system and computers used by most pro musicians and producers who use computers as their way of music creation or performance.

There is still some ugly PASCAL based bits of code and GUI going right back to the days of the ATARI ST. PG Music are just too unwilling to commit developer resources to remove it. Which would involve a rewrite of some code in a modern language.

And also the most pain-free, low latency and most supported platform audio-wise. Hence why even now in 2017 it is still a free - independently developed audio driver ASIO - and other bits of middleware that one is forced to use if one wants low latency with ones DAW on Windows - even Windoze 10.

I cannot think of another music software company that has a constant release-version disparity and long lag between the windows and OSX version.

The version numbers get a different release date - and yet EVEN when version numbers match for a few months - say 2017 - it is the case that feature sets don't match.

Shoddy.

Yet PG has been getting away with this for decades.


Amen!
Posted By: Kent - PG Music Re: transpose only selected chords? - 12/29/17 12:04 AM
Hi Guys,

There's a fairly easy work-around until this feature gets implemented, in case anyone's interested.

Highlight the measures you want to transpose using your mouse, then hit Edit - Transpose - Transpose # of Semitones, type in a number, and click Ok. This will transpose the whole song.

Next, hit Command+C to copy the transposed chords, Command+Z to undo the transposition of the song, then Command+V to paste the transposed chords back in. You can hold down the Command key the whole time, and just hit C,Z,V.

Once you get the hang of it, this should only take a few seconds.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music
Thanks Kent, very useful tip.
Those who know the jazz standard "Comrad Conrad" (Bill Evans), would also ask: how to make a change in selected chords no only in terms of transposition but also in rhythmic? Comrad Conrad changes each chorus by transposing in the fifth cycle but also by alternate each chorus 4/4 <-> 3/4, etc.
So my question is now: is it possible to make also this kind of change in BiaB, and if yes, how?
Thanks,
Christophe
Originally Posted By: Le vrai Chris
Thanks Kent, very useful tip.
Those who know the jazz standard "Comrad Conrad" (Bill Evans), would also ask: how to make a change in selected chords no only in terms of transposition but also in rhythmic? Comrad Conrad changes each chorus by transposing in the fifth cycle but also by alternate each chorus 4/4 <-> 3/4, etc.
So my question is now: is it possible to make also this kind of change in BiaB, and if yes, how?
Thanks,
Christophe

Chistophe,
Good question.
It may be one worth posting separately in the Band-In-A-Box forum rather than in the Wishlist. It might get better identification there.
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