Add New Songs to a BeatBuddy SD Card

This topic shows you how to add new folders and songs to an SD card that you can use in your Beat Buddy. This tip topic is similar to Using the Manager Software without the Pedal.

[list=1]
[]Insert an SD or SDHC card into your computer slot. Create standard content as described in Creating a BeatBuddy SD Card from Standard Content.
[
]Select Import - Export -> Import Project from Pedal. It will prompt you for last location, or you can say no and locate the SD card in your file system. Select Folder.
[]BB Manager will prompt you for a project name in the BB Manager working directory workspace. If you want to work off your hard drive work space, give a project file name (such as “SetList2014.bpp”). BB Manager will copy files to the work space. It will import the files into BB Manager so you can play and edit the files.
[
]If you want to link the project, say yes, and BB Manager will keep this project in sync with your SD card.
[]To create a new song folder, select the Songs tab, and select Organize > New folder. Click the “New Folder” name to give it a name such as “My Set List”.
[
]Add new songs to “My Set List” by selecting Import - Export -> Import Song. You may navigate and select multiple songs to import. You may now play and edit the imported songs.
[]Save the project at any point by selecting File -> Save Project.
[
]Sync all changes back to your SD card by selecting Import - Export -> Synchronize Project. It should copy new files to the pedal and rebuild configuration and index files.[/list]

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Nice information recap! Thanks for your time doing that!

Welcome to sticky.

Any suggestion replies will be added to the original post.

Spent many hours trying to get songs into my Beat Buddy but it did not work. Any chance of a video or better still, make it a drag and drop process.

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You may find my video tutorials helpful.

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Thank you Psalm40, very good of you to post.

I purchased a new SD card as a backup in case I messed up the one that came with it and finally successfully created a copy that works. The links above Creating a BeatBuddy SD Card from Standard Content don’t work and it’s hard to remember what thread you mentioned how to get the link to work from the old site or something. I’m making progress with the BB and the software really hoping for the Mac version to release soon to simply going back and forth between computers to work since I borrowed the Windows laptop. Any idea of how soon the Mac version will release? Also, an 8GB SD card was the smallest one I could find. Does it matter what size card I use? i.e. can the BB read bigger ones?

As I already replied, you can used any SD card up to 32gb.
Just searching “SD card size” would have brought up the answer also searching “Creating a BeatBuddy SD Card from Standard Content” would have brought up the correct page.
http://mybeatbuddy.com/forum/index.php?search/2898/&q=Creating+a+BeatBuddy+SD+Card+from+Standard+Content&o=date

I got it transferred and backed up. Thanks for the help!

Does anyone know if there are any plans for an SD card with a different set. There is far too much snare and rocky beats on there for me. I find myself mainly sticking with the 3/4 rhythms and i only like ethereal and percussion drumsets. Going in and changing stuff seems far too complicated i am a guitarist not a computer programmer so a choice of sd cards would be good. I’d like to see simpler beats and more folky instruments for my style of music.

I have been working hours creating softer Drum sets with less volume on the snare and tom attacks. I created a Brush set off the one installed and added my own samples to clean up the ride and pedal hi hat as well as added a brush drag snare where the brush rubs across the snare like a jazz drummer. I have sampled one of my DR 670 drum machines and am getting in to full edits adding congas and other percussion to standard sets. I too would like some variation in the styles but I believe BB will be heading that way eventually. Once I get mine finished I’ll share them.

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All in good time, there is plans for a store and more kits and hopefully songs, but as with any other drum machine you have to either make do with what it comes with or you create your own for it. With the BeatBuddy you have the ability to use the multitude of midi loops that are out there, but it does require getting your “hands dirty” to get them in to the BB. It just takes a little time to figure out how to do it.

Thanks guys good to know its in the pipeline. I have found your videos very useful mr psalm thanks for posting them.

Psalm40- Is there any way you can make another one of your fantastic videos that shows us non-midi folks the correct procedure for grabbing a drum track from a midi song then splitting it up for import into BB? I know it sounds a lot easier than it is, but us dummies would sure appreciate the effort. I got as far as chopping the track, but stalled out at that point. I think one of my problems may be in the mapping… Thanks for your consideration! T.

There is a plan for one in the future but I still have to edit my third drum editor tutorial and I’m quite busy at the moment. The problem is that there is no standard midi editor and lots of people will be using different software to do it. The theory will be the same but the procedures will be different.

Is there a way to put one song on the SD card that already has a bunch of songs without having to import-export-import-export-import-export?

I don’t quite understand your question, are you asking if it is possible without the manager software to do this, or do you find the process time consuming, frustrating or difficult.
You just click on the folder where you want the song to go and import the song. If it is a song already in the BB you need to export it, then reimport it and make the changes. This will get more intuitive and easy in the future, however currently that is the way you have to do it.

Yes. If you are quite tech savvy and do not bother occasionally messing up your project, what you want is very simple. (As usual, do backup your project!)

Step 1. Finding your new song you want to add to the SD card. It will be in the SONGS folder of your project.
[LIST=1]
[]Let’s say you have added your song in Rock folder.
[
]Open your SONGS/CONFIG.CSV file with Text Editor. Find out the line that contains “Rock” - like (977B149C,18. Rock) Note the hexadecimal integer before the comma. It is the name of the Rock folder you need.
[*]Open the SONGS/977B149C folder (your folder may be named differently).

[]Open SONGS/977B149C/CONFIG.CSV file with Text Editor. Find out the line that contains the name of your song, like (3B7108D3.BBS,8. Rock 8)
[
]Success! SONGS/977B149C/3B7108D3.BBS is your desired song!
[/LIST]
Step 2. Copying your new song to the SD card.
[LIST=1]
[]Open SD card, go to SONGS folder.
[
]Select the folder you wish to add your song to (refer to Step 1 for the algorithm via CONFIG.CSV file). Note, you are not allowed to add your songs to a root SONGS folder!
[]Let’s say you’ve also chosen SONGS/977B149C folder.
[
]Copy your found song to this folder. You’ve now added SONGS/977B149C/3B7108D3.BBS to the SD card.
[/LIST]
Step 3. Registering your new song on the SD card.
[LIST=1]
[*]Open CONFIG.CSV in the folder you’ve copied your song to. Note its file name. Let’s say it’s still 3B7108D3.BBS.

[]Add a new line with something like “3B7108D3.BBS,0. My Song Name” without quotes.
[
]Save and close the file.
[/LIST]
Done!

P.s.: By the way, backup is simply copying your project to some other place on your disk so you can later just copy it back, if you screwed your original ones. Once I saw someone downloaded an external utility for doing a backup… I was actually shocked. Don’t do that :slight_smile:

Hmm… to be honest I think export import is easier :stuck_out_tongue:

Please let me know when you posts your softer sets…i agree…almost all the beats right from the get go have a loud banging snare…i like to see soft rim shots for the verses and when transitioning to the chorus then have a nice snare