That is incredible, look forward to trying it out. As I have said before I tried creating a sound font but gave up as I did not have enough time - the speed at which you are updating this is amazing. What software did you use to create the sound font? Once it is available those of us who want to use our own DAWs can then create a sampler triggering the sound font making programming beats much easier. The free version of Presonus does not support third party VSTs but it’s included one can play sound fonts 
Just now need full Midi support and being able to assign any fuction to the external pedal - then what I wanted from the BB will be fufilled… but I digress as that is the firmware dept. I have said it from the beginning that we had some very talented computer developers on the forum, thanks to you and Daefecator!
I used a freeware program called Polyphone available here http://www.polyphone.fr/. It’s pretty easy to use, the only gotcha is you need to remember to set the looping start and end on each sample you load in but they make it easy because you can multi-select all the samples and click a button labeled with two arrows < > and it sets them all to the full extent of the wave at once. You can also multi-select and select bind to add a group of samples to an instrument. Here’s the soundfont file I created for the standard kit: https://www.dropbox.com/s/87vludgbd6wxhfp/StandardSoundFont.zip?dl=0 I like the interface of Polyphone a little better than the Vienna Soundfont Studio, it’s a bit less overwhelming.
As for the firmware guys, the main thing I want is the sending of event messages up the USB pipeline so I can write a heads-up display app to run on tablets Other folks would probably want that to be two-way communication so that song selection from the tablet could be supported
New version is great. They should be paying you for this.
BeatBuilder 2.0 is really good!
What You Hear Is What You Get!
Since we now know about Poliphone, will it be possible to switch to a user created soundfont? 
Sorry guys, one more update, I implemented a requested feature: during playback the grid highlight follows the beat, which makes editing larger files quite a bit easier. Originally I made it scroll along as well but the result was so flickery and jerky that I think it’s better to let you scroll along at your own pace. I also fixed a goof in the soundfont file, the snare had no samples assigned to the velocity range 101 to 110. Version 2.1 is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rm4weqraqw4ye2t/BeatBuilder.jar?dl=0
Great job Charles!!!
Now it’s time for a loop function!!! ;)
You should not be sorry, we all are very happy when you post updates!
hey Charles-after shelving my BB for the last couple of months, I came back to the forum in hopes I would find some updates that would make it easier to build beats,(i am a novice ) Your program is fairly easy to build songs so far(i have spent a few hrs today trying to build the JJ Cale version of call me the breeze) but have some questions regarding the best way to edit my song-I have built 8 measures of intro and began the verse section-because this song is basically the same throughout, I decided to try the cut and paste function to finish the song but don’t “get” how to accomplish this–First, i cant seem to figure out how to work the copy/paste function properly and once i figure that out, can you take all the instruments in the measure and copy them at one time, then move the copy to the next (blank) measure and paste (or copy many measures and paste in preceeding blank measures?) next question is marking sections(intro,verse, chorus,bridge, transitions etc) or does this program only let you build a complete arrangement and roll with it once you count in? Also the built verses don’t advance as the song continues during real time playback but I thought this was something that was incorporated(didnt i see someone mention this in this thread?) regardless of my learning curve issues-thanks-i hope to “get” the process so I can build my set list for my current project!!
The copy-paste will duplicate all instruments at the same time. Just click where you want to start and drag the mouse to the last column of the section to copy. You can paste repeatedly into subsequent measures or just paste-insert at the same place and it will keep inserting the copy block. You have the choice of creating the whole song in one file and then saving to subsections with the “save selection” feature which I put in for breaking up downloaded MIDI files into parts. The reason for this is the BeatBuddy is designed to work with small song sections, ie. intro, verse, chorus, verse. chorus, bridge, verse, chorus, outro. Unfortunately the BeatBuddy doesn’t let you tag the sections (yet) so it’s up to you to know what “part 1” means. I typically put notations in lyric sheets so I know where the transitions are. BeatBuddy allows 500 note events in a section so if you’re lucky you can fit in a full verse+chorus combo into a single section and avoid a transition. The BeatBuddy doesn’t yet support auto-transition, it expects you to trigger transitions from part to part, otherwise it will loop the song section until you do.
The copy-paste will duplicate all instruments at the same time. Just click where you want to start and drag the mouse to the last column of the section to copy. You can paste repeatedly into subsequent measures or just paste-insert at the same place and it will keep inserting the copy block. You have the choice of creating the whole song in one file and then saving to subsections with the “save selection” feature which I put in for breaking up downloaded MIDI files into parts. The reason for this is the BeatBuddy is designed to work with small song sections, ie. intro, verse, chorus, verse. chorus, bridge, verse, chorus, outro. Unfortunately the BeatBuddy doesn’t let you tag the sections (yet) so it’s up to you to know what “part 1” means. I typically put notations in lyric sheets so I know where the transitions are. BeatBuddy allows 500 note events in a section so if you’re lucky you can fit in a full verse+chorus combo into a single section and avoid a transition. The BeatBuddy doesn’t yet support auto-transition, it expects you to trigger transitions from part to part, otherwise it will loop the song section until you do.
ok-i have now completed the song in its entirety,it is certainly over 500 notes and needs to be broken down into parts-i will need some support to do this…(thanks for the cut/paste tutorial BTW) if you start with a intro, won’t that auto trans to part 1?(verse)? anybody up for schooling me on how to break this down?? i will also need to build a kit/learn to build and utilize kits but should get some basics from the online tutorial to get started with that(need to add Tamborine,shaker,etc)
And intro part does, indeed, automatically go into part 1.
All other fills and transitions need to be triggered manually, though.
anyone want to show me the process in which I define the intro from part 1 and after running 2 verses of part 1,insert a fill,change the middle section just enough to swing a solo guitar section, then revert back to part 1 and finish with an outro/end fill? ya, I know I don’t want much…:rolleyes:
Just noticed that the open hi-hat doesn’t close when closed hi-hat is played after it in the editor, and the toms in the soundfont sound like they’re tuned a lot higher than in BB kit.
I can’t imagine that you are the first to notice this, however as this is a tool created by an end user in his spare time for editing midi files, I suspect most are just ignoring this. Most likely it is a setting in the sound font and as this is now freely available anyone with the knowledge to edit them could correct it.
Yeah the sounds I’m using came from a collection of waves that had been uploaded and they don’t seem to match the BB kit 100% (like the toms are way off) When I get a little time I’m going to correct this (I have 3 different music projects going on at the moment). As for the choking of the hi-hat, that’s not something that MIDI synthesizers know how to do actually. Most synths don’t care about a note-off event on the percussion channel, they just let the sample play out. The BeatBuddy pedal has the extra-smarts to respect choke-groups, to know that certain combinations sounds should not be played simultaneously, and polyphony, to know that certain sounds don’t “pile up” the same way cymbal swells or drum rolls do.
This is really great! Back a few years ago, I spent a lot of time “Step Writing” arrangements with a full compliment of instruments (Piano, Vibes, Drums, Guitar, Etc.) so this is right up my alley. Thanks to all that work at Beat Buddy to create this. This is my total dream besides owning the Beat Buddy itself. I now can create a lot of my own stuff which is even more fun. I created the Rhythm Track for “Caravan” a couple of days ago with the bridge drums set for Swing as was the original song along with the chorus which was random toms. It came out awesome! Thanks again, Sincerely, Fingerstylepicker.
^ It’s all Charles Spencer’s effort .standing ovation Charles (Y).
I agree,BB is just starting to come into it’s own , & the forum is alive with possibilities … 
I get the same things as Marie Anderson, with no sounds above the “Floor Tom” except for the ''cymbals"
which seem to come out OK. The sounds are different and you have to load the results into the BB manager for testing the results. Timing is very critical and so is “Note Volume”, but other than that, it’s great for correcting small errors in timing in some of the “Fills”. With the help of the “Beat Builder” I am constructing my own Rhythm Tracks now and getting to where I wanted to be with my Beat Buddy.
Anything to make it better would be a good thing. Thanks, Sincerely, Fingerstylepicker.
cheers to @CharlesSpencer for the midi editor!
is there any way to use @Guitar Stu 's drums with bass instrument to create midis? To me, the pedal would be much more useful if i could make midis with bass for all the songs i want to do. My brain seems to have a disconnect on how to achieve this with any other editor, like garageband. does anyone else have the “drums with bass” instrument for any editor?