FAQ

C3 Note: This page has been truncated to only customs-relevant content.

Authoring

Where should I save my files?

Any local directory of your choice. It may be helpful to create separate folders for dry stems vs. wet stems and other suitable distinctions.

DO NOT save your files in the Reaper program directory. If you update your Reaper software, it may delete all files in the Reaper directory.

I want to start authoring music, but I'm not intimately familiar with Rock Band.

Playing the game is the best way to gain experience. You will need to own Rock Band 3 in order to use Audition Mode to test songs, and it contains a plethora of resources for new players. Give every instrument a try to get the most out of it!

Visit the Playtest Process page. This will give you the details of what to look out for and think about in every Rock Band song. Read through it and try playtesting some songs. After you've got the hang of playtesting, give authoring a try.

Can I add practice sections to my song?

Yes! Check out the Practice Sections page for more information.

Can RBN songs be authored to the music video venues?

No. RBN authors do not have access to the music video venues. Rock Band 3 uses the normal venue information to generate music videos, and the extra work involved in making music-video-specific venues was deemed unnecessary for RBN.

How do we check out our work in-game?

Audition Mode, available in-game in Rock Band 3 by going to (Start) -> Options -> Extras -> Audition Mode. Check out the Magma page for more details.

Does Breakneck Speed work in Audition Mode?

Yes.

I'm getting errors when compiling my song. What's wrong?

Many errors are self-explanatory or easy to identify with a little work. Visit Magma Compilation Errors and Common Authoring Mistakes for more information on errors and ways to reduce errors when authoring and compiling.

If you can't identify your error based on the message and our documentation, try searching the forums for your error message. The solutions to many errors have already been posted somewhere on the forums.

Playtesting/Audition Mode

Can I isolate instruments to hear them better while playtesting? -or- Why is the crowd so loud?

Within Audition Mode (or any other song in Rock Band 3), you can go to (Start) -> Options -> Audio Options to adjust various levels, including "Instrument" (all non-vocals instruments currently in the session), "Background Music" (all non-active instruments and TRKS files), and "Crowd" (the noise of the crowd). Remember, however, that it's important to listen to an instrument in the full mix at least once to get a feel for its audibility and the overall mix quality.

Can I Audition songs on my PS3 or Wii?

No. The Rock Band Network relies on Microsoft infrastructure, and there is currently no way to offer these services on other platforms.

Tools

I'm running Reaper x64. Why are some of the RBN Reaper add-on features missing?

Please refer to the 64_Bit_Reaper doc for more information.

Why aren't the right colors showing up in my Reaper MIDI Editor window?

Check out the Reaper doc to make sure your color maps are correctly configured.

I'm in Audition Mode, but my PC can't find my Xbox!

1. You need to open port 3074 for UDP on your firewall. The installer should do that for you automatically.

2. You need to be on the same subnet as your Xbox. This is unlikely to be an issue for most home users, unless you are connecting "accidentally" to your neighbor's WiFi hotspot, but we have found at least one case where setting a static IP address for the Xbox caused this problem.

3. You need to be on the Primary Network Interface of your PC. This means that bridging your connection from your PC to your Xbox will not work. (This could also happen if you had two network cards in your PC.)

I can't get Magma to install correctly!

Are you seeing one of the following error messages when you try to install Magma?

• "MagmaCore.dll not found",
• "Xlive.dll not found",
• "Failed to initialize XboxLIVE network, authentication failed", etc.

In most cases, a Magma install problem is caused by an outdated (or duplicate) installation of your .NET framework, or your "Games for Windows LIVE" package. You can make sure everything is up-to-date and Magma-friendly by following these steps:

1. Uninstall all of the .NET frameworks on your computer, via Add/Remove programs (you might have more than one, which could be the root of the problem)

2. Uninstall "Games for Windows LIVE" via Add/Remove programs.

3. Uninstall Magma

4. Download and install the latest .NET framework from Microsoft's site here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa569263

5. Download and install the latest "Games for Windows LIVE" package here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98609

6. Download and re-install Magma. With the latest .NET framework and "Games for Windows LIVE" package, Magma should now install correctly.

What is the "Export (default lighting, animation, camera)" button in Magma and why do I get an error when I try exporting my MIDI file?

This button allows you to export your MIDI file with all optional auto-generated authoring baked in (lighting, animation, camera), usually to then make tweaks to it in Reaper. If your MIDI file has any errors that would otherwise cause your song to fail Magma's compile, your MIDI file will get an error when exporting.

Magma can see my Xbox 360, but when I hit "Transfer to Xbox", nothing happens. The button is grayed out and doesn't seem to be functioning. What gives?

You need to highlight the 360's name from the list before clicking the transfer button.

Something is going wrong when I preview my chart on the console! Gems are missing, lights and camera appear stuck, etc.

Check the Audition Mode page for known issues. The problems you see might only affect the audition preview, not the game play.