This wish arises because sometimes we would like to constrain notes to suit a particular instrument of VSTi.

It seems very likely that there is already some constraint of this kind withing BiaB as instruments already play in suitable ranges ... piano, trumpet, tenor Sax, violin/fiddle and so on. There are times when it would be useful for a user to set such a constraint, for example for an unconventional instrument or a particular mapping on a VSTi.

I suspect this might be best achieved on a per-track basis, though some kind of user-defined instrument template may be an alternative. I imagine in normal circumstances that such a constraint would be set by default for an instrument selected from MIDI or RealTrack, but may then be overridden by the user. I would also imagine it to apply only to auto-generation, not to be a constraint on notes that one might manually enter or edit.

Some examples of where the feature would be helpful:

Some instruments have a narrower or different range than typical for the general class of instrument. That's quite common with ethnic and early instruments. (e.g. Balafon, Crotales, Kora, Recorders, Zithers).

Some VST instruments are shifted by an octave (or two), often to bring expression controls into the left-hand on a keyboard. (This shift can be done by whole octaves using MIDI Channels).

There are ways to achieve these things manually or externally, e.g., by editing the notes manually or by post-processing MIDI, but there are attractions with a level of automation.

It would be a nice feature to be able to tell BIAB not to exceed certain ranges. And I agree, it would have to be on a track by track basis.

I have some VSTis that come with the 'correct' range limits.

It's one thing to have a note that is incapable of being played. For example, a tenor sax has a low Bb a ninth below middle C. It cannot play lower. It's another to put an upper limit. For example, a practical highest note for a tenor sax might be a D concert over high C (their written E), but good players can go way over that. Give me a high C on a trumpet, no problem. Ask me to play that same note on a flugelhorn and I'll play it, but you won't like the tone, pitch or timbre. Think Chuck Mangione.

So, limits are very subjective in some cases.

I discovered my piccolo trumpet samples did not go high enough and I went into their code and modified it, and discovered the samples existed but the company had limited using it! The famous Penny Lane solo is an example. The highest note is considered too high for my VSTi, and yet it clearly can be performed by a good player.

Mark's post was deleted, but the question was very reasonable...

" ... are you talking about range only?"

I was thinking about range only.

The reasons for that were twofold ... the instruments I looked at with special scales always did something sane with notes outside of the scale, e.g., they play a note from the scale (whether that's sane is moot), or they play a trill or similar ... other instruments might not. I also felt perhaps the harmoniser may perhaps a better way to manage such instruments. I have to say though, that I'm not at all certain that I'm right about that.

I think that constraints within scales may be being over-clever of over-proscriptive, but again I may be wrong.

Thanks, I decided you’d actually been clear enough so no need for the question.

I agree that for realism, the range of notes could ideally match the natural range of the instrument, but as mentioned, with the opportunity to specifically adjust that range at times if required.

+1
I had suggested something similar before, not only to limit the absolute range, e.g. to one octave, but also the available notes. For example, I would like to use BiaB to simulate my hang, a kind of steel drum that is tuned to a limited japanese Akebono scale of 5 notes in two octaves B C E F# and G. Fixed and not transposable.

I'd looked at a number of instruments for which I had VSTs and all those where the scale was restricted, e.g., to diatonic, etc., did sensible substitutions, but I've just looked at hang-type drums on Pianoteq and, whilst they limit to an octave-and-a-bit, they will play any note withing the range, which isn't the way a hang drum normally works. That would suggest that I'm probably wrong that limiting only the range is enough.

I'm a little torn between asking for something that I feel is likely already present but not usefully exposed and something that affects the character of play like defining a scale. There are many possible constraints to scales. A map of available notes would be a way, but it may be tricky to implement a playing style. That said, one can ask and PGM can consider it or not as they see fit.

You can't chain midi plugins in Biab, but if you use Element you can




There are a lot of Piz midi plugs like midiForceToRange.dll




and you have reajs.dll that is in ReaPlugs that allows many Reaper midi plugs, it will list all the plugins you have in Reaper or you can set it to use a local folder.

Thanks for the suggestion. This is implemented in BiaB 2023. Currently works as a manual command. It can also be used on a midi super track as an automatic command to constrain range. Currently not implemented as automatic for tracks in midi styles.