Band in a Box vs Sonar

I recently strated using Band in a Box.
When I bring tracks from B in a B to Sonar it indicates that the files are in MIDI. However when I try either the piano roll or staff views what appears is the piano roll or staff views screen but they are blank.
What am I doing wrong?
Or is it that the transfer of tracks cannot be done in a way that they cannot be modified.
The tracks that I have transfered sound great but I might want to change the instrment or play with it, but the way it is, nothing seems to be able to be done to the track. It's as if I have to use it as is.
 
Thanks for any info.
 
Gerry
 

Hi Mario. The way I transfer is as follows: I drag, for example the Bass track, directly from the top of BiaB screen top to my Sonar X3 screew. The dragged track shows the following: BBBass-midi-single render drag drop.
That is why I am assuming that it is a MIDI file.
Like I said before, it's not with the sound that I have the problem, but with the fact that I cannot modify the track as no info is shown.
If I am using RealTracks or not I do not know. All I do is insert chords and choose instruments. I let the software do the rest. When I get what I like, I transfer the tracks.
 
Thanks
 
Gerry

I will have try.    Thanks
 

check in BiaB's MIDI Plug in and be sure that "Drag individual MIDI tracks as audio (using VSTi/DXi)" is NOT checked.

Like the Beatles would say '' With a little help from my friends " my problem seems to be solved.
 
Thank you all.
 
Gerry

It seems as if, as soon as I unchecked " Drag individual MIDI tracks as Audio (using VSTi/DXi ) '' from the MIDI plug in, everything started working fine. The tracks being draged and droped into Sonar were in MIDI and the different views were appearing as they should.
 
Thank's again.
 
Gerry

I also use Biab and there are 4 different formats that can be moved.  I usually place it over the Master  and dump all the tracks at one time.  I bought it to have midi files for different genras.  So I really don't use the real Tracks  except for  real drums    There is a video that explains this Biab Daw plugin mode in the intermediate video's section.  I want to keep my tracks midi so I can use my vst's on them.  

As a guitarist I use BIAB to create and play (laptop) backing tracks for live restaurant gigs and have been doing this for 10 years.  Works great, stable, solid.  BIAB has thousands of high quality styles to choose from, great product.  

Can you create your own "styles" in BIAB?

Is it just me or are the bass parts from BiaB always 1 octave low and nded to be transposed up +12 to work properly?

Brian Cadoret

chris.r
Can you create your own "styles" in BIAB?

Yes it's possible to create your own styles which I do regularly, combining elements from different styles allows you to make your own custom styles.  

I mean more like making a new original from scratch? Like it was possible to do with some more advanced Yamaha PSR keyboards using dedicated software.

BIAB has amazing sounding tracks that you can manipulate in many ways, but I think because they used a more universal linear approach in their "Real tracks" (the muscle behind it all) it is very hard to actually create a complete song. What I mean, they do not have a traditional approach like arrangers do, with parts for Intros, Variations, Breaks, Endings only imitations of them...  Created songs at times resemble looong snakes because it lacks proper "breaks", "fills" and "bridge" parts.  It is possible to manipulate their tracks to make a tune, but not intuitive at all. Overall I think their software engineers are ignorant boneheads.(not musicians who record stuff for real tracks, musicians are actually awesome)  It is a "feature creep" 32 bit program that looks like something from late 90s, and feels that way too. But in reality there are not too many choices if you want to make backing tracks that actually sound good and not spend weeks if not months in studio and they take full advantage of that refusing to modernize their stone age program to make it robust and user friendly. 
 
Having said that, vArranger (hi Dan) has more traditional approach compared to making backing tracks. It is a MIDI only program. It is very stable and fast, uses many style types from different hardware arrangers, but has a hefty price tag and many shortcomings. 
 
One of the best approaches into creating complete ideas for tunes fast were first introduced in Yamaha QY sequencer series (20+ years ago). Where you can mix various parts/genres re voice them on the fly etc. Yamaha, a few years back came out with software arranger as an app sadly for ipad only. It took best features from hardware sequencers and added many new ones. Sadly it is for ipad only and uses only "in house" Yamaha styles many of which were taken from 20 year old sequencers.
 
Since Bandlab is a Musician based platform, not just Cake... maybe Meng and his Magic crew should consider something like an arranger for creating backing tracks or as a scratch pad for song ideas that would resemble more traditional, hardware arrangers.... Just thoughts out loud :)
 
 

bluebeat1313
BIAB has amazing sounding tracks that you can manipulate in many ways, but I think because they used a more universal linear approach in their "Real tracks" (the muscle behind it all) it is very hard to actually create a complete song. What I mean, they do not have a traditional approach like arrangers do, with parts for Intros, Variations, Breaks, Endings only imitations of them...  Created songs at times resemble looong snakes because it lacks proper "breaks", "fills" and "bridge" parts.  It is possible to manipulate their tracks to make a tune, but not intuitive at all. Overall I think their software engineers are ignorant boneheads.(not musicians who record stuff for real tracks, musicians are actually awesome)  It is a "feature creep" 32 bit program that looks like something from late 90s, and feels that way too. But in reality there are not too many choices if you want to make backing tracks that actually sound good and not spend weeks if not months in studio and they take full advantage of that refusing to modernize their stone age program to make it robust and user friendly.  

Hmmm.. OK, then what do you call this?
 
Quickly generate a song form in Band-in-a-Box
https://www.youtube.com/w...e=22&v=mxcn7BcvnOM

bluebeat1313
"Hmmm.. OK, then what do you call this?"
 
I am aware of this:) I have tried it too. It is not solely my opinion, but many folks feel "real tracks" feel a bit like jelly, "lazy-jazzy" This state of viscosity is a bit too liquid my taste. Yes, you can make magic with it either by learning their wicked ways or by experimenting by bulldozing through ten thousand features they have.  
Do not get me wrong... Idea of BIAB is great, and surely is very useful, but implementation of software is horrific, scary like Windows 95 on 386 with EGA monitor in 21st century. I wish somebody would talk some sense into those PG developers to make a 64 BIT VST or similar to integrate with DAW properly and to make the standalone more user intuitive and robust.

Oh well.  Clearly it hasn't worked out for you, and that is fine to have an opinion.  But bear in mind that there are many folks happily making music with the program, so not everyone will agree with you.  It is the same with many DAWs, you have to find the tools that work the way you do.
 
Been nice chatting with you.  Cheers!

Skyline_UK
 
No, it's a Peter Green Lemon Drop by Vintage Guitars with Bare Knuckle Mules fitted.
 

 
Really nice! : )