I have a question: Is it possible to use all styles listed in the style picker in a way that they are only played as midi (so midi instead of realtracks)? Or is this only possible with styles that are explicitly marked as midi?
Hello Peter and welcome to the forums! To answer your question, it's kind of yes and no. As the Styles are, there is no MIDI version of the RealStyles, but you could load a RealStyle and replace the instruments with MIDI instruments that utilize a similar MIDI Style.
Thank you very much for your answer. How can I change this? I have only been working with B'IAB for a few days. Therefore I don't know all the functions yet. Therefore I would be grateful for any tip. I am not only interested in playing a style as midi, but also in saving a whole song then as a standard midi file.
Thank you very much for your answer. How can I change this? I have only been working with B'IAB for a few days. Therefore I don't know all the functions yet. Therefore I would be grateful for any tip. I am not only interested in playing a style as midi, but also in saving a whole song then as a standard midi file.
One way is to click on the RealTrack in the mixer, and select a Custom MIDI Style, and then choose a suitable style that has a MIDI instrument to replace the RealTrack. However, note that it probably won't be the same as the RealTrack, but it will be MIDI at least.
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Another thing to keep in mind, if you really only want to have your songs use MIDI, then it is much simpler to just choose an all MIDI style from the start
BIAB & RB2024 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
I actually prefer to use the real tracks over midi.
And it's for one simple reason. The RT's sound like real players and real instruments because they are in fact exactly that.
So I tend to avoid any of the styles that are midi.
I'm not against midi because I use it occasionally. However, it's in my DAW and it's mostly where I am playing a part that the RT's couldn't do, such as a signature lick or a specific breakdown in a song. I use my midi keyboard and a good quality synth with nice samples when I do that.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
I think for the simplest, most realistic, quick-ish song generation, RTs win easily.
I think if one wants the flexibility to do more of one's own ideas, MIDI is hard to beat, but it takes much more work to get things to sound good. A plain MIDI style usually sounds pretty mechanical. Human playing, voicing and expression makes the difference.
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RealTracks are audio format strictly but some of the RealTracks have what are called RealCharts, which are a notated representation of the RealTracks. It won't be exact, and many of the RealCharts were transcribed after they were initially created. But you can save RealCharts when you export BIAB to MIDI (it's a checkbox in RealTracks preferences).
From there, you load it into a DAW and change any notes you want; however, if you are expecting to then play those changes using the RealTrack, that isn't going to work, because RealTracks don't respond to any MIDI changes. They are pre-recorded phrases and don't follow MIDI or notation.
The RealChart is there to help you visualize what is going on. Or you can use it as a basis for creating a MIDI track, perhaps using a high quality VSTi instrument, but the RealTrack isn't going to play those changes.
To know if a RealTrack has notation or not, first go to the RealTracks Picker. Then look under the Chart column. The "N" means it has notation. Also, "Gt" means that the guitar will display a guitar tab, or if it is a bass then the bass track will display a bass tab.
Chantelle, about "it won't be exact", I did many transcriptions of the early RealTracks (sax and guitar). While they were good, you are correct, they are not exact. However, it is my understanding that SOME of the RealTracks do have very accurate notation, if they were played on an instrument that could output MIDI as well. Thus the Piano tracks are generally quite accurate representations of what was played. I'm not sure what year this technique was started, so I don't know if all the piano tracks are accurate, but I do know the ones in recent years are.
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I have some high-quality VSTs for piano (Pianoteq) and acoustic guitars (AmpleSound). I find many of the RealChart MIDI "realizations" sound very good with these, and without the artifacts that sometimes come with the stretching/pitch shifting. Right now the only way I know to play that as MIDI is to copy the RealTrack to another track (probably Utility track) and only copy the MIDI. Or as Chantelle mentions, bringing it into my DAW the MIDI track is usually available. I'd love a way to play the RealChart MIDI rather than the RealTrack audio right when I regenerate the song, rather than needing the added steps and duplication. Is there any way to do this??
Chuck Wiggins
BIAB 2023 Win UltraPak, Cakewalk, Windows 10 Pro Custom AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, Focusrite Scarlett 4x4 interface
I have some high-quality VSTs for piano (Pianoteq) and acoustic guitars (AmpleSound). I find many of the RealChart MIDI "realizations" sound very good with these, and without the artifacts that sometimes come with the stretching/pitch shifting. Right now the only way I know to play that as MIDI is to copy the RealTrack to another track (probably Utility track) and only copy the MIDI. Or as Chantelle mentions, bringing it into my DAW the MIDI track is usually available. I'd love a way to play the RealChart MIDI rather than the RealTrack audio right when I regenerate the song, rather than needing the added steps and duplication. Is there any way to do this??
Never say never but I don't know of an easy way. I think that goes back to the thinking of the RealTrack audio as the main reason people like RealTracks while the RealChart is mainly viewed as a learning tool first and second as a production tool.
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