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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,123
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2011
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MIDI can be difficult to understand and intimidating to use. It takes time and practice to be able to create a realistic MIDI performance. +++ THIS +++ 2014 article from the Soundbyte web based magazine is one of the better getting started guides I've found. We're lucky in the sense Band-in-a-Box has excellent MIDI tools. The Staff, Event and Piano Roll views (windows) all are tools that can be used to create a realistic MIDI performance. Using the MIDI based styles as templates for creating your own MIDI styles is a wonderful way to gain a better understanding of how MIDI can be used to create a realistic sounding MIDI based style. Viewing MIDI SuperTracks output in one of the MIDI windows are good demonstrations of realistic sounding MIDI performances.
Jim Fogle - 2024 BiaB (1111) RB (5) Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 464
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 464 |
i5-3210 laptop. Win 10 Home. 2.5ghz, 64 bit. 6gb RAM. Focusrite Scarlet 2i2.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 1,362
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 1,362 |
Thank you, Jim. About the crossfades to change velocity or expression within a single note: Besides this being very tedious (but necessary) work, it can also give unpredictable results when using the best libraries of sampled instruments because they often use from 3 to 5 round robins of the same note. I have often wished that I could "freeze" a single bar or note/sound.  Thank you for sharing! Will
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Aug 2011
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Joined: Aug 2011
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2b and Will, I'm pleased you're finding the article useful. Will, I agree it looks like crossfades can be tricky but I think getting crossfades under control has more to do with the audio created by the sample library audio results than the underlying MIDI. However I certainly might be wrong since I've not tried crossfades with MIDI. I've found another article that might be useful and informative to musicians with a strong knowledge of music theory. The article is by composer Jerry Gerber. Mr. Gerber has composed multiple (nine at the time this article was written in 2016) symphonies using the DAW Sonar, soft synths and sample libraries. Mr. Gerber also creates music scores and soundtracks for television and movies. The article is labeled +++ Virtual Orchestra Composition and Production +++ .
Jim Fogle - 2024 BiaB (1111) RB (5) Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,367
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A very interesting article for sure...at least to us Midi-ots! While I'm appreciative of his approach and potential results, I not sure I have the patience to wade through dynamics, expressions, cross fades etc on a note by note basis. Seems one would be stuck on a single song for a very long time and creativity would die a slow death along the road to technical perfection.
Jeff
Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2024, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,123
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,123 |
A very interesting article for sure...at least to us Midi-ots! While I'm appreciative of his approach and potential results, I not sure I have the patience to wade through dynamics, expressions, cross fades etc on a note by note basis. Seems one would be stuck on a single song for a very long time and creativity would die a slow death along the road to technical perfection. Jeff Jeff, During one of the Jerry Gerber interviews he indicated the album he just published (at that time) took about two years to produce. I've noticed some prolific book writers issue a new book of a series about every two years. I'm sure time management, dedication, ambition and effort are just as important to success as talent. I lack in "all the above"!  Seriously though, I'm sure some of it boils down to process; knowing your DAW, knowing how to perform the tasks you want to perform and working your way through the process a little at the time.
Jim Fogle - 2024 BiaB (1111) RB (5) Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414 |
Wow - this is incredibly informative. Definitely bookmarking for later. Good find!
Cheers,
Deryk
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,583
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Great article. You would think we should just know this stuff, but it's good to be reminded and our knowledge refreshed.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 2x2TB, 1x4TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 2x1.5TB, 2x2TB, 1x4TB SATA BB2024/UMC404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/MixBus/Notion/Finale/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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I didn't read the article..... but nonetheless, feel totally qualified to comment on because I slept at a Holiday Inn Express 10 years ago.
Actually, when I first started recording with Sonar and it's predecessors, I used midi a lot. Practically everything i did except guitar was midi ( and even some of that was a midi synth called strummer) and often created by mousing in the notes or recording from a non-touch sensitive keyboard. So, essentially, everything went in just dry boring midi. Velocity was the same, start to finish. Gahhhhhh!
And that's the kind of stuff that gives midi a bad name and has that nasty "midi-sounding" quality. Even when using the best quality samples,unless you actually take it note by note, to edit the various parameters, you get stuck with midi sounding midi. Music libraries were constantly telling me to make it sound real.
I did in fact spend a lot of time during my midi days editing the note velocities on drums and keys to try to get some semblance of a live player track. That was some tedious stuff. Talk about BORING!!!! My brain hurts just remembering it.
As such, I rarely use midi now days.
Real tracks cured that all for me when I had recorded a song I wrote and put it into the cakewalk songs forum. I recall a guy who listened and commented. He was a commercial studio owner whose work was highly revered by the folks there. I had a fiddle in the song and he knew me and knew that I didn't play a fiddle. His comment was to the effect that the fiddle track sounded so realistic that he could hear the rosin on the bow and strings. I think that was the turning point for me. I realized that RT's were capable of fooling a person with ears such as his..... and I haven't used midi for much ever since.
Not at all putting down the guys and girls who work with midi and take the time and have the skills to make midi sound realistic. But without the nuances that come mainly from a live player, it's hard to fool someone with midi. The biggest problem with the nuances is the little slides, blurbs, and slurs that occur in the music....AND... is specific to the instrument being replicated. Guitar fret noise and string squeaks come to mind. You gotta know when and where they occur and to what degree to use them correctly. Stuff that, for the most part, only someone who plays that instrument might be aware of.... and sometimes even a player of the instrument doesn't know enough about the nuances to replicate them in a believable manner using midi.
My 2 centavos.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,783
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A very interesting article for sure...at least to us Midi-ots! While I'm appreciative of his approach and potential results, I not sure I have the patience to wade through dynamics, expressions, cross fades etc on a note by note basis. Seems one would be stuck on a single song for a very long time and creativity would die a slow death along the road to technical perfection.
Jeff Hi Jeff, This is a good article but I think it is a little misleading for the beginner MIDI user. For example expression (CC11) is easily controlled while playing via either an expression pedal or the mod wheel (CC1). A lot of the newer MIDI sound sources use key switches and velocity for articulations. Again you can do this live. Forget cross fades using MIDI. Bounce/convert to audio and do it there. It is much easier and quicker in audio. Other controls usually can be assigned to faders or sliders on a MIDI keyboard controller so again the process is very easy and in many times can be played live. If not you lay down your track then use your sliders or knobs in real time during an over dub; i.e. adding to an existing track. YMMV
Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up.
Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
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There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed!
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