Playing BB OP SONGS Vs. DAW playback?

BB has brought me into the world of Midi and Midi editing (for that I am grateful) but my quest for learning in this world of MIDI continues. In the case of OP songs, do some folks use a DAW to import midi files and then instead of BB use their computers to playback and play along with midi OP songs (sorry if this is the obvious use of a DAW)? If so I wondered if there was an IPAD version of a DAW that could also play a OP midi file (Bass drums -maybe some keyboard modules etc…). If no IPAD version then I especially see the benefit in the small portability in using BB for this as compared to a computer. However, If there was an IOS DAW (where I could use IOS sound modules to map to good bass and drum samples) I could see it as another option as compared to the BB (for OP songs) since many use the IPAD already for OnSong or Set List Maker. That being said please know I would never give up my BB. I love how I can easily improvise with transitions and fills with my feet - outside of OP songs - which is powerful. Thanks for your thoughts?

So nobody out there uses a DAW to run their shows?

only keyboard players, i think :slight_smile:

In theory you can save the Beatbuddy midi of your performance into a DAW and then play it back from the DAW without needing foot actions.
So far I can only get the first part of this to work.

If you can sync it up with the DAW you may still be able to play fills with your feet even while it is synced.
Just an idea.

Please let us know how you go ; )

Ok that would be cool. Do you mean the DAW would send the midi notes (midi out) to the BB (on a specific channel number)- (midi in) thus triggering the BB Drums and Bass wave samples- i.e. therefore, the DAW uses the BB as a sound module? Interesting, If anyone uses the BB in this way please chime in - this has peaked my curiosity.

I guess if this worked could you also then tell the DAW to play a keyboard midi progression/track on a different midi channel that points to a different sound module/source - like a keyboard sample? Not sure if DAWS can send individual midi tracks in a song to specific midi channel numbers (seems like it would for keyboard players especially wanting to trigger different sound sources). If it could, I could imagine further layering sounds and keyboard chord progressions on top the BASS and Drums being triggered and played on the BB that would all be in sync while I play guitar and sing along. An extra bonus indeed would be if you could then tap on the BB while it was playing back the bass and drums from the DAW on the BB the for fills that would occur in sync (wow this thought is stretching my imagination in potential use of BB if it could be done).

I guess some may wonder, why one would do this rather than just playing a MP3 backing track but I think if this worked this this method may sound a little more original because one could easily and creatively arrange and record typical songs in the DAW as compared to an MP3 backing track playing back that cannot be edited our paused etc…

If this worked - even better would be if the DAW was an IOS app housed on an IPAD triggering the BB remotely via Bluetooth Midi all the while accessing and triggering popular keyboard ios apps like IKmultimedia Sampletank housed on the IPAD.

If this worked- You could show up to gigs with a mic., a guitar, a powered speaker- a bluetooth wireless midi receiver like the PUC+ connected to the BB (midi in), and an IPAD and you would be good to go.

Furthermore, if this worked you could connect your guitar to an IOS IRIG2 so you could use IOS guitar effects apps like amplitude or jamup and change guitar presets on an IOS guitar effect app using the IKmultimedia Blueboard (wireless bluetooth foot controller) to throw down some leads. (No more lugging any guitar effects to gigs).

If this all eventually worked this would be quite a self contained portable power house especially for one man bands.

Thanks for the thoughts to stretch my brain on possible future hopes and dreams for BB use.

Yes that is my understanding, However I am still trying to get midi in to the BeatBuddy working myself, but have got mid out of it all good.

Do you have a midi interface and midi/audio software etc?

I have a midi interface but have not purchased a real DAW. That is my nextstep. I am on a mac and want an easy to use DAW to get started. Do you have any suggestions? What midi interface and DAW do you use?

When you say you got midi out of it do you men you have the BB sending midi notes to trigger in real time another drum sampled sound source on your computer?

I have a midi interface but have not purchased a real DAW. That is my nextstep. I am on a mac and want an easy to use DAW to get started. Do you have any suggestions? What midi interface and DAW do you use?

When you say you got midi out of it do you mean you have the BB sending midi notes to trigger in real time another drum sampled sound source on your computer?

When you say you got midi out of it do you mean you have the BB sending midi notes to trigger in real time another drum sampled sound source on your computer?

So far, I have only recorded a playing Beatbuddy into Reaper as a midi track.
I can tell because see the infirmation visually as a “piano roll” in the track area.

I havent been able to get the recorded midi track back into Beatbuddy as yet

I have a midi interface but have not purchased a real DAW. That is my nextstep. I am on a mac and want an easy to use DAW to get started. Do you have any suggestions? What midi interface and DAW do you use?

My experience may not be the best guide as I have not had full success with it all. Also I’m on PC…
I tried Reaper as It seemed to have a following and there is a generous trial arrangement.
Reaper is available on Mac too I think.

Perhaps garage band might be a first try?

You are thinking along the same lines as me: I want to be able to use the BB as a drum machine and bass player without having to set up One Play songs or having to transition in sync with the song structure in order to keep the bass guitar part in line with the song. So to separate the drum from the bass and allow the drums to play freely, you would need a bass part that follows the song structure like a baking track and also remains in sync with the drums. Therefore the bass part should preferably be a midi file so that it can follow the midi clock. I was wondering whether it would be possible to use a “drums with bass” drum set but feed the bass notes from an external source into the BB midi in whilst at the same time play the drum notes only from the BB in the standard song set up. There are many apps for the iPad that can play MIDI files. This would be an amazing set up. For drums and bass backing you would only need an iPad and the BB and you would be able to introduce fills and transitions on the BB at will without having to worry about following the song structure thus creating a more dynamic and realistic live performance.

Yes it is almost like this thread needs to be posted on a DAW forum for next steps on how to separate and send individual midi note tracks (Bass and drums) from a DAW to different sound sources to translate the notes into sounds. I do not think there are enough people here interested in this quite yet on this forum. What DAW do you use and what OS and what audio interface?

So in your set up what you want is to just strip the bass line out of a song (which is easy and I can do already). And then in your Daw only have that bass line playing bass notes while the tempo on the BB synchs so you can use all the standard kits and fills? If this is correct ?If so what sound module in your daw on your computer are you using to trigger the bass sounds? I do not see how you can tell the BB to only play BASS on the BB unit itself along with the standard kits unless the bass is playing on your DAW and just tempo syncing to the BB. But what do I know - this is all new territory.

That’s not exactly how are I imagine it. What I want to do is play a midi bass file on an iPad, configured to the midi notes set up on a “drums and bass” drum set on the BB (i.e. transposed to whatever position is required to play BB bass notes), and send those notes to the BB via the midi in cable. In theory the BB should be able to play bass notes from the incoming midi and send the audio out the normal way. At the same time I want the BB itself to play the drum parts in the standard way using songs set up with different parts but those parts do not necessarily relate to the song structure (verse, chorus etc.). Only the midi file coming from the iPad follows the song structure, like a bass backing track. So the BB song won’t have any bass notes in it but the drum set will be able to play bass notes. This probably won’t work but it would be great if it did. I will have to test it - I’ll let you know the outcome.

My suggestion is to get small tests going before counting on bigger plans.
Despite a great deal of frustrating work, and buying some duplicate gear (which was not the problem) I have NEVER been able even to get midi in working on my BeatBuddy. If you do I would love a video of it with steps to reproduce.

My hope for the future is that if we can get a reasonable autopilot, we will no longer need song-length one press songs. Songs will be broken into pieces, and auto-played, but, with the option of replaying or extending or shortening particular sections, like we all do with human players. You miss the first line of the song? Press some particular button, and we get that last measure or section played again. Solo sections can be made to NOT have autopilot, so you solo at will and decide yourself when you want to move on to the next part. This has been my goal from the beginning of using beatbuddy live.

Personally I don’t like the OP song length songs… there is no recourse in case of a mistake. There’s little difference between OP song length songs, and a cd backing track (of good quality), except that the OP song is limited to drums, bass, and sometimes one other instrument.

The real goal is autopilot with flexibility!

I am answering my own original question in this thread. Is anyone using an IOS DAW to run OP songs? I have not tried this yet but Auria Pro IOS new version http://auriaapp.com/Support/auria-support has midi import capabilities that reportedly allows one to import a midi song via dropbox and assign other IOS apps/instruments like Easy Drummer and keyboard apps to its tracks. It also allows one to use a midi foot controller and in theory it looks like it could be controlled by a midi bluetooth controller like the Ikmulti media Blueboard for remote start and stop. I do not ever want to replace my BB for creativeness and live impromptu performances, however, for those one press bass and drum songs that play just like a backing track - this could be an IOS option. Need to test my theory in a few months.