Converting drum arrangements between MBR and BR-900CD

[veli_joza]

Hello everyone, I'm new on this forum.
After reading posts for few days, I noticed that many people here are struggling with drum arrangements on Micro BR.
Some are even using BR-900CD Rhythm Editor to create drum audio tracks to work around limitations of MBR internal drum sequencer. The problem is that Rhythm Editor and MBR internal editor are mutually exclusive.

I thought it would be nice to have the best of both worlds, so I set out to created a program BR Converter for converting drum arrangements between Micro BR and BR-900CD.

Similarities

• 5 arrangements per song
• 50 steps per arrangement
• name and drumkit for each arrangement
• pattern, tempo and measure for each step

Differences

• BR-900CD supports custom and preset patterns
• MBR supports only preset patterns
• BR-900CD supports custom and preset drumkits
• MBR supports only preset drumkits

These differences mean that this program would only be usable for power-user, which is probably why Roland decided not to implement MBR support.

Possibilities
Create general song structure on your computer and transfer it to MBR. While recording sections, modify arrangement on MBR/computer. When song structure is firmly established, enhance drums in Rhythm Editor with custom drumkits and/or custom patterns and create audio drum track for final mix.

Usage
You MUST have these files in all in the same directory:
  br_convert.exe
  ARRANGE3.BR1
  ARRANGE2.BR0
It's convenient to keep all above in your fake BR-900CD directory (ie. "D:\ROLAND\BR0\SONG0000.BR0").

• When you execute "br_convert.exe --toMBR" the program should create Micro BR file "ARRANGE3.BR1" in "output" subdirectory.
• When you execute "br_convert.exe --fromMBR" the program should create BR-900CD file "ARRANGE2.BR0" in "output" subdirectory.

You should now manually place newly converted file in it's correct location and test the drums.

Notes
The BR Converter is provided as is, no warranty is given for its use. I'm in no way connected to BOSS/Roland, I've written this in my spare time, for my personal usage. Before you ask, MacOSX port should be possible/easy, but honestly, I don't have access to any MacOSX machine, so it's not likely in near future.

(BR Convertor ver0.4 is attached)

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5758.0;attach=5524

[64Guitars]

Not sure why your attachment wasn't showing up in the message but I've added a link to it at the bottom of the message. Maybe Pedro (admin) can fix it so attachments will appear in the message in future.

[launched]

Well I'll be dipped in elephant shit, I think it works. And the Br900 Rhythm Editor is a whole lot easier to use than the 30 day trial that is out there.

All I did was test the functionality. I put a song together with preset patches on the Br900 Rhythm editor, built a .br1 file and loaded it into my song. I haven't verified if the patch numbers are the same patches for both machines, but the numerical output is identical.

I don't have time to build a rhythm track on my MBR right now, so if anybody does in the meantime, please advise.

Thanks veli_hosa for creating the converter!!

Peace,

Mark

[veli_joza]

I've just built arrangement files with all available preset patterns, in sequential order, each lasting one measure. It's convenient to have, so I'm sharing it with you. I'm using it to quickly browse through patterns, for example to find ones that don't use the snare drum.
Since 326 preset patterns exist, and there's 50 step limit for each of 5 arrangements, I had to use two arrangement files to fit them all. Arrangement names should tell you which pattern numbers are inside. Just note that large majority of patterns last more then one measure. You can see the whole pattern in Pattern Editor, but you'll only hear the first measure if you play the arrangement. If you want to hear the whole pattern, you can either play it in Pattern editor, or expand it in Arrangement Editor.
I hope somebody finds this useful.

[watch this space for direct link to attachment]

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5758.0;attach=5525

[veli_joza]

I've received my MBR today and done few tests of converter. As far as I can see, everything works as expected
I don't think I will make any further changes unless some new feature is requested.

[SpikeVelvet]

I'm bumping this thread to see if I understand this correctly. The BR Converter will let me create an arrangement in the BR Rhythm Editor and then convert it to a format the Micro BR understands and THEN it will allow me to import it to the Micro BR?

Does it import to the "rhythm" track of the Micro or to a V-track?

[64Guitars]

I forgot all about this program. I guess I wasn't very interested at the time because I don't have a Micro BR. But now I see the potential that this program offers to Micro BR users.

Yes, the idea is to create an arrangement in the BR Rhythm Editor. This will produce a file on your computer called "ARRANGE2.BR0". Using veli_joza's program from the post at the top of this topic, you'd then convert the "ARRANGE2.BR0" into Micro BR format. This produces a file on your computer called "ARRANGE3.BR1". Copy that file to the appropriate song folder on your Micro BR, replacing the default file (assuming, of course, that you haven't already created any arrangements for that song which you wish to keep). Disconnect the Micro BR from your computer and press Play. You should hear the arrangement you created using the BR Rhythm Editor.

The program can work the other way around too. So, if you have an arrangement on your Micro BR and you want to make some changes to it, you can copy the "ARRANGE3.BR1" file from your Micro BR's song folder to your computer. Then use veli_joza's program to convert it into BR-900/600/864 format and place the resulting "ARRANGE2.BR0" file into the appropriate BR Rhythm Editor folder on your computer. When you start the BR Rhythm Editor, you will be able to load your arrangement and make changes to it. Once you're happy with the arrangement, you can once again convert it to Micro BR format and copy the file to the song folder of your Micro BR.

It should be noted that this program doesn't give the Micro BR any capabilities that it didn't already have. So you can't expect it to play custom patterns or use custom drum kits. Although the BR Rhythm Editor is capable of those things, the Micro BR is not. So you can only use preset patterns and drum kits in your BR Rhythm Editor arrangement if you want to use the arrangement in your Micro BR.

Great idea, veli_joza! Thanks for writing this program and posting it here.

Has anyone here been using this program? It seems strange that nobody's mentioned it in the 16 months since it was posted.

[64Guitars]

I forgot to answer this part of your post:

Does it import to the "rhythm" track of the Micro or to a V-track?

Import is probably not the right word. It actually replaces the entire arrangement file for your song. This file holds all five arrangements that are possible to have in a song. So, if you've already created one or more arrangements for your song in the Micro BR and you want to keep them, you should backup your song, then convert the existing arrangement file and edit it with the BR Rhythm Editor. Then you can convert back to Micro BR format and copy it to your Micro BR, replacing the old arrangement file. This new arrangement file will contain your original arrangements which you created on the Micro BR plus the new arrangement you created with the BR Rhythm Editor (to a maximum of five arrangements).

Of course, in most cases, you'll probably start with no arrangements in your song. In that case you don't have to worry about backing up. You can just go straight into the BR Rhythm Editor and create your arrangement, then convert it and copy it to your Micro BR.

The resulting arrangement on your Micro BR is a proper rhythm arrangement which is fully editable. ie; it's a drum track, not an audio track.

[SpikeVelvet]

You Rock, 64! So what you're saying is the BR Converter WON'T allow me to take a preset pattern modify it slightly like I could with the BR 600/800/900 etc. and then convert back to Micro BR format?

But, it will enable me to use the BR Rhythm Editor and organize the existing preset patterns into an arrangement?

FWIW, I gotta say this is a great forum. I really appreciate all of your responses. I've been mining the past threads and I'm learning more here than I have from the manual. Or I should say I can always come here to get clarity on the manual.

Don't be surprised If I bump older threads again 

[64Guitars]

So what you're saying is the BR Converter WON'T allow me to take a preset pattern modify it slightly like I could with the BR 600/800/900 etc. and then convert back to Micro BR format?

But, it will enable me to use the BR Rhythm Editor and organize the existing preset patterns into an arrangement?

That's correct.