Can someone explain what “no choke group” means? I’m familiar with choking a cymbal but not with the MIDI definition.
I recommend that you read the “Drum Maker Software manual” which is downloaded as part of the BB manager.
I just found it and read it. I am a Mac user for the last 15-20 years so Windows is difficult and clumsy for me. I downloaded BB 1.33 newest version, I originally only saw the BB software but I had to have a Windows friend help install it as it didn’t want to work at first but we got it working.
I used MIDI in the 80’s extensively so I have an extensive background in MIDI from years ago but would be rusty. If there is a Garage Band user or a user of Logic ProX or perhaps another inexpensive drum software for creating beats out there I’d be interested in hooking up with them. I’ve used all of the Roland Drum machines and a few others and currently have what I want beat wise on those that I could record the MIDI main beats to build from. In the future I’d like to create my own or download from someone’s drum sets until I find the unique sounds I’m looking for. The BB has great sounds just that I need a few softer sets for Diana Krall type jazzy soft brush sets. The drum fills on most of the BB are too loud and busy for soft ballad music. I also play a lot of Big Band Swing style, Bassa Nova and easy listening stuff on occasion beside the typical rock stuff. We play often for the seniors doing oldies but then other gigs we are playing top 40 type stuff and 50’s, 60’s, 70’s music too so I need more variety. I’m anxious to get to know this creative stuff well enough to fly solo.
Where are the MIDI files located within the structure of the BB software? I think I can just adjust the brush set to soften the toms and remix the whole set a little then add MIDI files with the beat structure I’m looking for and that will work for now I’m just uncertain yet how to do that. Is there a way to play a loop while lowering the velocities to hear the changes as you make them? (I haven’t tried yet)
Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to edit the BeatBuddy content. The MIDI files are currently packed and stored in internal proprietary formats that is intended to be parsed only by BBManager.
While you can indeed find the MIDI files used by shipped songs (if I am recalling it properly, they reside in "%WORKSPACE%\default_lib\midi_sources" directory, where %WORKSPACE% is a directory that you’ve set when installing BBManager content), editing those MIDI files won’t do shit, as you will need to manually import them back to their position in BB songs with BBManager afterwards.
Currently this is pretty hard to do. As a workaround, you can add an extra main loop with MIDI files that all have lowered volume for all of their notes. No way to do that automatically.
Yet, this is a suggestion that I keep hearing a lot about. I would value the chances to have this feature added as pretty high.
OK, since I’m asking…I guess there are two things I have yet to grasp as a new user. If MIDI files play the .wav files inside the BB how do I either add my own midi files and edit them for volume using existing .wav files (drum sets) and/or can I edit the MIDI information after I create my own new song using an existing song template and editing the name. I think you get where I’m headed I jus need help finding the way to do it. I see others posting other drum kits (.wav files) and also things like a 1,2,3,4 intro which I’m interested in but as of yet don’t know where to begin to import those and make them work. I think the BB offers more of what I want for live performance than any machine I’ve ever used however, the styles that come with it just don’t work for me at all. (too busy)
Well, I’d start with checking official videos. Then I’d see videos of Psalm40 (they are in his signature). They are awesome and cover pretty much everything to get started with your BeatBuddy comfortably.
I totally understand that not everyone has so much free time to program beats for BeatBuddy, so that’s why we have this forum, and thanks to multiple active members who have contributed a lot of songs, they are here for your free (!) downloading!
when i click your highlighted link above…all i get is …nothing…a lot of links are like that on here. any suggestions?
That post linked to the old forum, the new link updated link is http://mybeatbuddy.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-do-i-make-drum-kits-for-the-beatbuddy.1441/#post-5485
Or you could just search for what you are looking for.