I have been using OnSong for years to create the song sequence for my setlists, then re-sequence my BeatBuddy folder to match the sequence of the OnSong Set.
I recently purchased the midi cable and Bluetooth cables to link the 2.
Is there any recommendation as to how to setup the folders in BeatBuddy - alphabetical, genre, etc… and are there any watchouts when adding new songs to the folders.
Also, in OnSong - is there any advantage in mapping between Press/Hold Song Title, go to midi, then select MSB, LSB, Program # vs going in to song editor and mapping that way?
I create my songs in OnSong using the console editor, never by importing PDF’s or Word documents.
I go for a mixed approach. For Artists for which I have multiple songs (let’s say more than 4), I create a dedicated folder on BB. I also have genre folders where I send all the other songs, artists that I just have one or two songs of each. This way, when you add songs to a folder, you only need to be aware of the changes within that specific folder.
Midi commands will be specific to the position of a song within BB, if you move the song in BB, you need to update the command. That is why some will say that it really does not matter where you have the song in BB, since what is important is that OnSong references the correct song via MIDI. Although that is true, if something goes wrong and MIDI is not working, it will be easier to use BB manually if you have your songs somewhat organized.
If you add folders, every folder and every song from that new folder down will need to be updated to reflect the new position in the list. So sometimes it is worth it to wait a bit before beginning to assign MIDI, at least try to have some kind of list or organized structure already worked out, so future changes will not change your song layout much and not be so time consuming to work the changes in.
I prefer mapping the midi command inside the song. For new songs, I will have already copied the midi command, so the only thing I need to do is paste the command and change the number that needs changing to correspond with the new song place in the list.
For sets, I do everything in OnSong. No need to change anything in BB, if MIDI is connected, it will do the job.
Hope this helps.
Jack, it doesn’t really matter how you organise your songs provided you don’t change their order after you’ve added them to OnSong.
You can add songs to a folder and add folders to your library, but never put songs before other songs linked in OnSong.
If you use BBFF Editor, I have put a MSB/LSB/PC code for OnSong in the status bar bottom left so you can just copy/paste it into the song editor.
I’d like to add that, for me, the “MSB/LSB/PC code for OnSong” that @andrew13 has worked into BBFF Editor is of immense value. If I change the position of a song in BB, something that I do from time to time, I don’t need to calculate or count position, everything is right there in the code. Just copy from computer to iPad and go on with your life. Saves me a lot of time. Kudos to him for thinking about that and implementing it in such a practical way, genius.
I personally have an “all songs” folder, and now and “All songs2”. I add them and set the midi command and then try not to move things around.
For the “what if midi fails during a show”, I often will just make a playlist at home. Hook up midi run the through the actual playlist and add each song to a playlist on the pedal. Takes 2-3 minutes and them I’m covered without having to do a bunch of extra organizing on the pedal card.
OK, I have added Midi-Sync to my songs but now the iTunes track is playing when I start the BeatBuddy.
I do NOT want the iTunes track to play while at a gig.
How do I stop that?
I use the iTunes track when practicing without the BeatBuddy.
Also had an issue with songs in 6/8 and 12/8 time. After syncing, I had to edit the tempo in OnSong to 1.5x the tempo in BB Mgr for all of these songs. What am I doing wrong here?
1 more issue in my 1st gig using the sync to OnSong feature. 1 of my buttons on my footswitch is used to pause/start. When I used that button after syncing w/ OnSong, the song in BeatBuddy stopped/ended. It did not pause. I believe I had to change audio playback from play/pause to play/stop in OnSong to use sync w/ BeatBuddy. Is this why the footswitch button did not work as normal? And is there another way to do this?
Are you sure? Not divided by 1.5? I think the BB tempo is a quarter note tempo and it sounds like in those time signatures OnSong uses dotted quarter note, which means a bit slower BPM tempo
In reality both produce same experience but they are just different notation
I had a similar issue with my keyboard for the same time signatures
