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Varranger and BIAB

Started by bluebeat, December 07, 2018, 03:27:50 AM

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bluebeat

BIAB has released new version, which is 64 bit! and they made a VST also. Major breakthrough for them! Also, they have sale period, which ends on Dec 31. They only do these "sales" once a year. If you can pick up a valid new licence of 2018 version at a cheaper cost from third party, they will upgrade to 2019 at no cost.

Finally my "dream" composition bundle of Varranger+BIAB  is coming to life! One of the final pieces to the puzzle is for Dan to complete clock Sync In option. That way files from BIAB will sync properly to files from vArranger in DAW.    Varranger and BIAB are like yin and yang. Two very special and very diverse programs for arranging and composition. One can not substitute the other. Together, they can make magic.

P.S. Maybe one day Dan decides to make a VST also. I think, if it happens, it will be very fair if he markets it separately. One price to new users and for discounted price for loyal customers, to keep project fueled.









Lylo

Hello bluebeat, I hope you make a review for the wedding between vArranger and BiaB. I don't see how you want use it and I'm curious.  :)

semimi


bluebeat

Ok.

I already tried couple of things, so I know they work to extent.
It is fairly straight forward. BIAB has great "live" tracks but does not have many
good intros, fill ins, endings and large variety of midi lanes, such as styles in VA do.
So, here is the workflow:

1)I create arrangement in BIAB and export them as individual WAV files
2)I use same SGU (Biab format) in Varranger to import chord sheet (Dan
made that available and it works)
3)choose a style in VA, set tempo same as BIAB/DAW project, rearrange fill ins, breaks endings. Record individual WAV files
4)I import all files to DAW and mix BIAB files with Arranger files.
5) Mixdown either as WAV or MP3. c'est ça

Here is the biggest challenge that hopefully Dan will solve within next days. Sync In... Wav files from VA are not of exact tempo, so when I did couple of arrangements, I had to use Audio snap tool, chopping and aligning VA tracks so they are in sync with the rest of the project. That is not very smart way to do it and it is very tedious  process.

So my hope with SYNC IN is to either sync VA to a smaller program as midiclock? as Dan suggested to record WAVs using vSynth SF2 bank.
Also with another scenario, of using just midi, to record directly to DAW using Halion Sonic or VSTSynthfont as VST hosts in DAW, also SYNC IN to DAW project, so all things have proper tempo.

I hope that explains the process.










lakere

Quote from: bluebeat on December 07, 2018, 03:27:50 AM
BIAB has released new version, which is 64 bit! and they made a VST also. Major breakthrough for them! Also, they have sale period, which ends on Dec 31. They only do these "sales" once a year. If you can pick up a valid new licence of 2018 version at a cheaper cost from third party, they will upgrade to 2019 at no cost.

Finally my "dream" composition bundle of Varranger+BIAB  is coming to life! One of the final pieces to the puzzle is for Dan to complete clock Sync In option. That way files from BIAB will sync properly to files from vArranger in DAW.    Varranger and BIAB are like yin and yang. Two very special and very diverse programs for arranging and composition. One can not substitute the other. Together, they can make magic.

P.S. Maybe one day Dan decides to make a VST also. I think, if it happens, it will be very fair if he markets it separately. One price to new users and for discounted price for loyal customers, to keep project fueled.
I have BIAB 2017.  This year, BIAB as a plug-in did it for me.  I jumped on it.   I agree with Bluebeat that if Dan makes  vArranger available as a plug-in along with clock Sync In, it should be a separate paid upgrade for those who already own vArranger.  I always say with some major features, even those who have been using a pirated version of vArranger won't "stand" it anymore and finally decide to pay for a full legal version and get free minor upgrades.   

Come on, Dan, expand your market by adding these features.   

Bernie9

I have had both vArranger and BIAB for years, but got sidetracked playing arranger keyboards.  I am getting to the point that I want to lighten my load, and go computer music.  This means I will have to try and catch up with both programs.

I bought BIAB 2018 UltraPak Plus and updated my V2 to 1.19.  I also added the BIAB plug in, that is brand new, to Notate Composer3.  This allows me to either compose my own songs with BIAB styles, or import backing tracks from BIAB and have composer notate it as a lead sheet. I say all this because I am determined to make use of both, if only in a basic way.  I am a decent musician, but a poor techie.  The only thing I can think of is to utilize the V2 instruments and play arrangements from BIAB with the printed lead sheets from Composer3.  Composer has great scrolling notation, but with one GUI, I can't very well see both.

Obviously, the main advantage is making use of Dan's many features by itself in addition.  It seems like a win, win situation.  Maybe it won't work, but worth a try until something bett(as described above) comes along.
Bernie

v.muller

BIAB can export midi file
vArranger can export midi file (Song chords function)

Then these midi files could be mereged for example using Cakewalk.
Final midi file can be replayed using vArranger and recorded as audio.

bluebeat

v.muller, why would somebody want to do that?
BIAB is about realtracks.
Realtracks are exported as audio files, not midi (because they are audio files)
Arrangements from vArranger can be exported as WAV or Flac files also, but they do not adhere to timeline in DAW, because they are not synced to a specific clock.
Dan promised to make sync in option a few weeks ago. Waiting for that to happen :)

v.muller

I Understand.
If you want to use RealTracks from BIAB, then you can export midi from vArranger
and convert it to the wave for example using CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth
or in any DAW using VSTis.
Then You can mix this audio file with the wav exported from BIAB.

bluebeat

Well, that is one way,  but being able to export different lines as waves from vArranger from various styles, on demand is more to my taste. Since there are no style maker  in vArranger, having a midi clock that would match Daw is the quickest solution to reach this goal...  Just waiting for Dan to complete Midi sync in.

Dan

This was almost done, but still have problems when the tempo of the master suddenly change by a lot. The sync is loosed... need to improve my sync routines

Bernie9


bluebeat

Dan,
Thank you for the update! Please make it right. This is a very important core feature, I am sure it will be very appreciated.

Thank you.

avis71

Is it possible to use BIAB realtracks with live performances as well ?

bluebeat

avis71, Real tracks are not like midi. You can not change the chords on fly for real tracks to  follow in live scenario. You can make/render a backing track and play "to it" with vArranger I guess.