MIDI Editor?

BeatBuddy General
1

Has anyone here used a MIDI Editor that works with BB (free is always good)? I’ve been looking for the past week and haven’t found anything that works with BB.

I suggest the BB Manager should definitely have a MIDI Editor in a future release, just because it’s the nature of the product. If we’re able to edit the MIDI within’ the Manager it would just be an easy solution to this. But in the meantime, what else is everyone using to make custom MIDI beats?

2

What do you mean by “haven’t found anything that works with BB”, that is a very strange comment as any sequencer that can handle (import and export) midi would work as all the Beatbuddy does is play midi files. There is a huge variety in DAW’s (Digital Audio Workstations), sequencers and midi editors, some are free and some require some financial investment - one free program is actually called midi editor.
I would like to be able to recommend Presonus Studio Live as they have a free version but have not had much need or time to investigate how it would work with the Beatbuddy as it is a cut down version, it may not work.

3

Please read my signature :slight_smile:
I know for sure there is a line explicitly stating what I use for editing MIDI for BeatBuddy.
Note the version, though. It’s important.

4

I’m using Aria Maestosa currently. Free, and easy to use.

5

I use Anvil Studio, also free, and it offers fairly straight-forward ways to create rhythm tracks without needing to use standard notation.

6

Is there an ETA for the BB Midi editor? The only answer I’ve seen is “it’s in the works”, I do understand that it takes time and if an update has been posted Sorry!!.

7

I will be totally honest with you - I would not hold your breath, this is most likely going to take a very long time, there still is not an “official” Mac version. Now that NAMM is finished we may get more updates firmware and feature wise, but personally I would give up on the idea of a midi editor included in the manager software any time soon and figure out a way to use another program to edit the midi.

8

I don’t even want to set the date on it, as I will most likely miss it…

9

Marcel,

Check out the free version of Studio One by Presonus: https://shop.presonus.com/products/studio-one-prods/Studio-One-Free

  • Midi audition (not all DAWs have this unfortunately) allows you to listen to all your files without importing first
  • Includes compatible drum kits
  • Drum maps (called pitchlists in Studio One) make editing easier - you can see kit layout for each drum
10

You read right through me!! As everyone, with my work/home schedule I have limited time and I have a Korg Krome that I’ve had a few months. Now I know that I better dig in and figure out (I eventually would of) all this midi stuff to create my own beats/drum kits etc…I’ve figured out how to customize the on-board songs and have even managed to add a tambourine and cowbell to a few songs, which is a big accomplishment for me! This is my first exposure to the midi world and I am slowly getting there thanks to all the info everyone has been putting up.
Thank you all!!

11

In addition I’d like to add that a midi editor is a feature that we are considering to put in the BB Manager, but there are no concrete plans as of yet as to when we are going to so that. So yes, please don’t hold your breath. :wink:

12

Hi guys, I haven’t bought a Beat Buddy yet, but I do have a question which I’d like to know before purchasing one:

Is there a MIDI editor that works on a tap based system, say, clicking of the mouse or something? I really don’t like using sequencers. I’d really prefer a tap feature for creating the different drum parts.

Thanks,

Matt

13

Unlikely as that would not give you the control, you would need some external pads and create the parts that way. What you are after is some sort of app running on a touch screen device which is GM compatible and can export as midi as well as import (if you want to edit current songs).

14

Thank you! I’ll look into that. I did search around for a few hours last night for PC software that did that, but was pretty surprised that I couldn’t find any.

I was thinking about it some more, and I’d also be fine with a step-sequencing program as long as it allowed for a shuffle feel, preferably with a variable shuffle parameter to change the degree of shuffle. I’ll search around for this, but if anyone knows of one that has this feature that would be great!

Also, I have another question. Do the drum parts all have to be one bar long, or could you use midi editor to make a 2 or 4 bar pattern, and import that into beat buddy as a single part?

Thanks again,

Matt

15

I have been trying to create songs. I work with logic to create beats. Initially I used their own drum engine but when I import into BB software the drums sounds aren’t the same making my edits useless (kick becomes hi hat, snare is crash etc). I then tried using ezdrummer but when imported it wouldn’t play and seemed to freeze the software. I believe this is what the original post meant. These do not ‘work’ with BB software as when you import them they sound different or don’t work at all. I will continue to try programs out, I assume garage band would be the same as logic but I will try other suggestions listed in this thread.

Update - I can’t stand working in the recommended editors and since I own logic see no reason to. I have been able to drag and drop from toontracks stand alone EZDrummer editor which at first seemed fantastic but they don’t transfer the same sounds. For example, a simple boom cha with a crochet hi hat in EZDrummer is only the kick and snare in BB editor, where did the hi hats go? Trying in import loops form specific songs results in all the sounds being changed around and completely unusable. I don’t know enough about midi logistics to be able to fix it and since I can’t edit any midi file in BB editor all my previously mapped out drum beats are now useless with BB. Can someone please explain why all these editors have the sounds in different places? I am now limited to the files created within BB. Very disappointing.

16

Lots of devices use different mapping, hence lots of DAWS have drum maps so you can change the midi notes triggered by different instruments. Once you know the midi notes the BB uses you can change the midi file accordingly.
See thread below for the midi notes used in various kits.
http://mybeatbuddy.com/forum/index.php?threads/beatbuddy-drumsets-midi-notes-mapping.1873/#post-7944

17

Thank you for your reply… and looking at that may I say, GOOD LORD!! I will report back once I have learnt how to translate that successfully somehow… give me 3-8 years :slight_smile:

18

You could also edit a drumset to match the midi notes of your midi files, watch my 2nd drum editor tutorial to find out how.

19

@Psalm40 thank you for your tutorial videos! In your 2nd video at the end you mentioned another video that would instruct on how to simply install a user posted drum kit and on how to create a drum kit from scratch. Do you have an ETA for the next video?

20

I’ve watched all the videos. I love the ease of the pedal but at this time editing the midi files into songs I can use seems to be beyond me. I’ve read and watched for hours now and need to stop :slight_smile: This has always been the problem I had with drum machines and backing tracks in general. Too confusing and too much time taken away from practice. Thank you for all your responses :slight_smile: