HELP! Stuck at 50 steps, won't let me add more

[Ferryman_1957]

Hi all,

Got a problem I can't work out. I'm editing a drum arrangement and the BR will not let me add any more steps. I'm on step 50, measure 110. I cannot add any more using the + key, nor can I insert any measures. I have plenty of space (just deleted a bunch of files, have over 5 minutes remaining in the song). Any ideas what's going on? I thought you could have 999 steps in a song?

Cheers,

Nigel

[BossMicroBRew]

I don't know if I could answer as to why it is happening. Hopefully someone with more technical expertise on this little machine would know. However, if it were me, I'd wipe the card completely clean and use the drum arranger software.(below) Then just load the arrangement onto the BR. Good luck!

http://microrecorders.org/community/rhythm-and-drums/downloadable-drum-pattern-arranger-question/0/

[64Guitars]

Arrangements can have a maximum of 50 steps. It doesn't matter whether you create them in the BR or with the BR Rhythm Editor software -- 50 is the limit. However, this usually isn't a problem. The usual reason that beginners hit this limit is because they incorrectly assume that they have to have one step for each measure. But that's not true. Each step can play for many measures. The length of the step depends on its starting measure and the starting measure of the next step. For example, here's a 2-step arrangement that plays for 150 measures (in 4/4 time at 120 bpm, that's five minutes).

Step 1: Start Measure 001,  Pattern P002 (ROCK1-V1)
Step 2: Start Measure 151,  Pattern P327 (BREAK)

Another thing that beginners often don't realize is that the preset patterns are several measures long (see the chart on page 118 of the Micro BR manual, 3rd edition). So you don't have to use a lot of different patterns to create an interesting arrangement. If you let the patterns play for their full length, they'll be interesting enough on their own. I mean, they're not just a single measure repeating over and over. Each measure of the pattern is slightly different.

If you're already aware of this and you're still hitting the limit, then your arrangements are just too complex and you'll need to simplify them. On the BR-600, 900, etc., you can create custom patterns up to 999 measures long. So, you can combine several short patterns into a single long pattern to avoid using as many steps. But the Micro BR can't do custom patterns, so that isn't an option.

I thought you could have 999 steps in a song?

No, only 50 steps. However, the total number of measures in the arrangement can be up to 999. So, if the starting measure of step 2 is 999, then you can't add any more steps to the arrangement, even though you've only used 2 steps of the 50 available.

[Ferryman_1957]

Thanks! RTFM. I must have confused measures with steps. You're right, I created a messy arrangement. I realized part way through that I was inserting the same pattern in new steps rather than let it play for many measures. I was too lazy to go back and reedit. But I guess I will have to now.

Glad it's nothing more complex than that. Haven't use the drums much, guess it shows 

Cheers,

Nigel

[BossMicroBRew]

50 steps, got it. I'm sure I would have run into this at some point, though my usual rhythms are as basic as a crayon. Thanks!

[Greeny]

I did this on my first effort too, thinking that you needed to program every single measure. Once you get the hang of having 3 measures plus fill or 7 measures plus fill (for example...) on each step, you should only need around 20 steps or so for a song with different verse, chorus and fill patterns.

Of course, 64guitars explains it properly.... !!!!! 

[Ferryman_1957]

Just wanted to say I redid the drums properly this time, took 12 steps! Now got some room for a few frills. Now got to see if I can get the guitars recorded before my operation next Friday.....

Cheers,

Nigel