Hi, all -
I’ve been trying to do some very simple tasks within the BeatBuddy Manager built-in Midi-Editor, and am just having no luck at all. I have been successful editing some intros to simply add a 4 count hi-hat intro, etc.
However, now I’m trying a few other simple edits, and when I open a main song part in the editor, even if I don’t do anything to the file, when I play it back, the bass, key’s etc. get very “echo’y”, muddy, and seem to sustain much longer than normal, overlapping, and they basically become unplayable. All just because I opened it in the editor.
If I can’t even open a part in the editor without it totally screwing it up, then I can’t even do very simple edits.
(I hope someone else is experiencing this problem, because I don’t know how well I’m explaining it.)
I’ve researched all over the forum and have tried to download the free versions of Reaper, Presonus, and MidiEditor, but when I pull in the exported midi file from BB Manager, I can only get those programs to play one instrument at a time, drums or bass or keys, but not all three at once. I know there is a learning curve with those programs but I’ve tried and can’t even figure out how to play the complete midi-file, let alone edit them. Maybe there is a complete tutorial or even a class I can take to figure this out?)
Anyway, just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this, and what a possible solution might be.
(I really just want to do very simple edits, and it seems like it should be a lot easier.)
Any response will be greatly appreciated!
If you are quantizing the .mid file after opening it in the MIDI Editor, that’s most likely the cause for boogering up the bass sound.
Some users report the same issue when editing a file using the BBM Midi Editor.
Bottom line: the BBM Midi Editor is not reliable.
When using a DAW, you have to combine/merge/join or whatever your DAW’s terminology is for combining the separate drums, bass and other instrument MIDI tracks into a single MIDI track. Assuming you have correctly mapped the instrument notes, you should have a MIDI file that can successfully be played in the BBM. There are several good tutorials on the forum that will give you the general ideas. Try searching for my Reaper tutorials or Phil_Flood’s Logic Pro tutorials.
Thanks for the reply, Persist. I really appreciate it.
Actually, even without quantizing (just opening the file to edit) and playing it back through the editor screws it up.
I’ll look for your Reaper tutorials and see if I can figure it out that way.
One quick question in that regard, do I export the midi file from the BBM of the part I want to edit and then open that file in Reaper? (That’s how I initially tried it, but want to make sure I’m at least starting with right file.)
Thanks!
D.
I search for them online. Ultimate-Guitar (the premium version) will usually have what I’m looking for. Their files are in a proprietary format so I use TuxGuitar to convert them to MIDI.
Very cool! I use UG for all of my charts and then pull them into OnSong.
I’ve never tried to export MIDI files from them, but I do have Premium, so I might look into that as well.
Thanks again for all your help!
D.
Usually the Official version has a Guitar Pro equivalent and that’s the one I usually try to stick with. TuxGuitar is available fonline or both macOS and Windows.
Thanks, Persist.
Sorry for one more dumb question, but I’m looking at my Ultimate Guitar Pro page right now, and I can’t find anywhere to export their backing tracks. (I’m assuming that’s what you use and the convert to MIDI with Tux?)
Could you please let me know how you get the UG file?
Hi, Persist -
I think I might have figured it out.
It appears that you can’t download the “official” tabs/backing tracks from UG, but you can download the “Pro” tabs as .GP5 files.
Then, I was able to open that file in Tux and export it as a MIDI file.
Admittedly, the Pro tab when played in UG doesn’t seem to sound as good as the “official” tab, but beggars can’t be choosers, right?
Please correct me if anything I said is wrong.
Thanks!
D.
That’s correct. I use the Official file as the source for the chords & lyrics but also as an indicator that there’s a Pro or a Guitar Pro file available, which is what I use to get at the MIDI file.
If you have any use for the Guitar Pro 7 app beyond exporting the files to MIDI, then you could use it, however, at almost $70, TuxGuitar does the job just fine.
Thanks, Persist!
I was able to convert with Tux, so that worked.
Now, I think the real learning curve begins.
I need to use Reaper or Presonus or MidiEditor or something to try to figure out how to revise the mapping so it works with the BeatBuddy drum kits with bass, strings, keys, etc… when I pull it into a new song in the BBM.
(Unless there’s a shortcut you know of… )
Thanks, Jim.
I agree, Persist has been very accommodating and has been a wonderful resource.
(Thanks again, Persist!)
Jim, it sounds like I’m at the same place you are. I have both Reaper and Presonus Studio 5, and I’ve literally spent the past three days just trying to get a midi file to playback through either and can’t get either to work. They are not very intuitive.
I also have the free midi editor (midieditor.org) and it seems more “user-friendly”, although I would like to be able to replace the keyboard scale on the left with a list of what the different rows are. (I can’t get a midi file to playback with the correct instruments. All I need is bass, drums & strings, but can’t get it to do more than play the drums.) If you know of any tutorials for the free midi editor I could watch, that would be very helpful.
At the end of the day, all I’m really trying to do it edit some of the OPB files from the BBM to either add a hi-hat count throughout the “quiet parts” of songs, and maybe edit the ends of a few OPB songs to end better. I’d also like to extend the end of the Purple Rain OPBK file I have so I can do the lead solo. (Right now, it cuts off right after the last chorus.) These seem to be fairly simple things, but I can’t figure it out.
I wish the BBM editor didn’t screw up the song when you open it, because I can actually work within the BBM editor, but every time I open one of the midi files in it, it adds a long sustain to all of the bass and strings and really makes it a muddy mess. (I wish they would fix it, and/or publish a tutorial so I knew what I was doing wrong.)
Anyway, thanks for listening. Any advice you can offer is always appreciated!
David
Baby steps…I thought I could figure this out, but it is proving VERY illusive and counter-intuitive.
I was able to pull a midi file from UG Pro, then I was able to pull it into Midi-Editor and actually edit the file. (I added hi-hat counts, fixed some wonky crash cymbals, and was even able to copy and paste an additional 12 bars for the solo, as well as creating an ending to the song, instead of it cutting off abruptly.)
I even have the strings, drums, and bass separated into three separate tracks.
This all plays fine and sounds just like it should when played back through Midi-Editor.
However, when I pull it into a new song in the BBM, the mapping is no where close to right. I’ve even tried it on several different drum kits with bass and strings, and it’s just a bunch of jumbled percussion (because the BBM is playing all the notes as percussion, I believe, because it’s not mapped correctly.)
I have attached my completed midi file, just in case someone can help tell me what I’m doing wrong.
I’m almost certain it’s a mapping thing. I just can’t figure out how to get the bass notes from the Midi-Editor into 0-31 on the BBM, drums into 32-59, and Piano/Strings into 60-127. I think this is the problem, and I just don’t know that next step.
Again, if you play the attached midi file in Midi-Editor, you can hear what I’m going for, but if you play it in BBM it just sounds like a bunch of disjointed percussion.
Here’s a link to the midi file…
As always, ANY help or advice is GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks!
David
It sounds like you’ve figured out the basics with your DAW and although the tutorial is for Reaper, the principles pretty much apply to other DAWs as well. If you want the videos from which my tutorial notes are based, DM me and I’ll make them available again.
My tutorial isn’t the only one as Phil_Flood’s is still on the forum too.
P.S. I downloaded your file and am taking a look at what you’ve done so far but I’m really thinking the light bulb will come on once you get a tutorial or two under your belt
)