Ok, I’ll give it a try.
So do you create all new files within Reaper (instead of editing imports)?
Rarely, if ever. I work from MIDI source files.
Can I ask where do you get your MIDI source files? (In other words, they’re not the midi files from the OPB’s?)
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.
1 Like
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… 
)
Truly, thanks so much for your help!
David
You can’t go wrong with anything Persist tells you. I, personally use a free midi editor. I tried the others but i can’t figure them out.
https://www.midieditor.org/index.php?category=download
Works great for me.
Regards
1 Like
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
1 Like
Hydrogen free and easy to use
you can do simple beats and adjust the velocity
take a look here to have an idea
Beatbuddy How to make rolls/Comment faire des roulements (FR/ENG) - YouTube
1 Like
Thanks, I’ll look at Hydrogen as well.
Does it also support bass & strings, or just drums?
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
The issue is most likely your mapping. Take a few moments to read my tutorial Reaper tutorial for transcribing MIDI source file for the BeatBuddy
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
Thanks, Persist! I’ll read through your tutorial.
(I wouldn’t mind the video files too, if you still have them. I’ll send you a DM.)
Also, please let me know if you see anything weird with the file I sent.
Thanks again for all your help!
D.
Think just drum
But you can download drumkits, but you still better to stay with the original one to use with the BB manager, cause the other drumkits of hydrogen is not recognize on BB manager
I have solved most of what you are asking about.
Keyboard thingy… I made a cheat sheet I tape on the side of my screen.
Playback with wrong instruments…that would be a drumkit issue. The BBM doesn’t play the same instruments as the midi editor.
Lengthening songs and adding high hats to keep count during quiet parts…You can copy and paste and add the part of the song that would work for the outro guitar solo. It can be tricky to find it and merge but it gets easier with use. Same with high hat…copy and paste just the amount of measures needed for the high hat.
The long sustain… you will need to shorten the midi notes in the editor from the right so they at least don’t overlap. With some work, you can get a great sound. Also adjusting the velocity (graph below the grid) of the high hats, you can lower and raise the volume and add dynamics to all notes.
Jim
I’ve only just started converting our songs to OP. I use BB Manager to create my separate beats, fit them together in Reaper, export as a new midi file then import into the outro of a new song in BB Manager with a blank.mid file in the main part. I’ve added many different instruments to drum sets and experienced no issues other than there’s split second gaps between joined sections when played back on the PC, but fine on the BB.
1 Like