I have recently purchased a new computer with W7 pro; and 8gb memory and quad processor etc. so I have a reasonable spec. these days.
If I purchase the 2013 BIAB mega pak upgrade which includes all the real track and drums can I expect this to play with the Tyros 2.
In the past I used to play midi with the performance playing through the Tyros speakers but could never seem to get satisfaction trying to play the realtracks and drums. (lock ups etc.)
What cabling is required from PC to tyros apart from the host cable at present installed?
BTW w7 is 64 bit any problem?
BIAB runs fine in Windows 7 64-bit, as long as you have drivers for each piece of equipment.
I don't know about your Tyros.
I can confirm that your computer and W7x64 will be fine, but as Matt said, you need to be sure that your drivers are up to date and W7 compatible. Check with your gear's websites to confirm. I had no issues with any of my gear even those some is quite old, but the manufacturer's had updated drivers that I downloaded and installed.
Also, check out the video of BIAB and the Tyros on youtube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7vucwldHvU
Thanks for confirmation of the program's capabilities.
However have I got to purchase a soft synth for the audio part to play properly through the tyros speakers. I do not have a soft synth and it appears pgmusic want another $40?
Coyote Forte is an excellent bargain for $40. Some commercial soft synths can cost hundreds or even thousands. And if you buy version 2013, BIAB now contains a starter kit for SampleTank, one of those 'hundreds' soft synths.
I'm just guessing, but some reasons that PG Music might not provide a full commercial grade soft synth that would increase the base price are:
1. someone may already own one or more
2. someone (like me) may already have a hardware synth
You might enjoy visiting the Dare to Compare page on this website.
Doesn't my Tyros 2 (yamaha) perform as the hardware synth?
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However have I got to purchase a soft synth for the audio part to play properly through the tyros speakers. I do not have a soft synth and it appears pgmusic want another $40?
Your Tyros is GM compatible which means you already have a good synth to work with Biab generated midi tracks. There's two ways to set it up, first your Tyros handles midi through it's USB connector to your computer. This is where drivers come in. Go onto Yamaha's website to their support page and see if there's a 64 bit driver for it. For my Roland Sonic Cell, they have a 64 bit Vista driver which works fine. If Yamaha doesn't have a 64 bit driver then the second way is to use an interface. The Tyros plugs into the interface via USB and it's the interface that needs the 64 bit driver and all of them have that. Hmmm, I just looked it up and it appears the last driver update was in 2004 for Win 98. If that's true then you need an interface. In addition to USB your Tyros also has standard midi plug connectors so any midi interface will work if USB doesn't. With older keyboards using regular midi cables may be best anyway.
Once the Tyros is set up inside your computer then Biab is "playing" the sounds inside your Tyros and you'll hear everything through the built in speakers.
This is just for midi, Real Tracks/Drums are a different story. Those are audio files and from looking at the specs the Tyros 2 has no ability to receive outside audio and play it. The newer Tyros versions probably can do that but not your older 2. In order to hear midi from your Tyros and RT's from Biab you need a mixer to route the audio outputs from your Tyros and the audio outputs from your PC to your studio monitors.
A softsynth is what you would need to have to keep everything in your PC, the softsynth plays the midi and the RT's the audio and your internal PC mixer handles it and the combined sound goes out to your speakers. But, this is the confusing part, that output is now audio not midi so you can't use your Tyros speakers for that.
Bob
Many thanks Bob.
So I download a trial version of a soft synth. and give that a whiz as suggested in the last paragraph of advice above before I plunge into 2013.
I think I saw something on the last pgmusic sale offer?
(upgrading to Tyros4 involves around $3500 expense!)
I downloaded the Coyote trial version of software synth (30 day)and it plays satisfactorly with my PC (w7 64 bit)
However as you say Bob it shuts down if I try to combine it with the Tyros 2.
So my preference is to use midi GM to play through the Tyros speakers and perform with the BIAB score at the same time.
This then means the Real Tracks and Drum software is only playable using PC and no midi with Tyros.
No point in me upgrading to later biab versions unless sometime in the future I upgrade my keyboard?
What you really need, devonplayer, is a good aftermarket Sound Device or Soundcard, with Line Inputs for the Audio Out of the Tyros2. A small mixer may also come in handy here, placed between the Tyros Audio Outputs and the Line Input, that way you can hook up a mic to one of the mixer inputs, The Tyros to another, etc.
You would also need a better speaker monitoring system than what comes with the PCs in general. There are lots of "nearfield monitors" both powered and unpowered if you have an audio power amp suitable, that should be used.
The MIDI out of the PC from BiaB attaches to the MIDI In of the Tyros and BiaB is directed to send all MIDI data that direction from inside the MIDI/Audio output window found under the BB Options menu.
The Realtracks/Realdrums will be sent to that aftermarket sound device internally in the PC, while the sounds that the Tyros2's MIDI synth generate will be mixed in via the Line Input of the sound device at the same time.
This way, you can enjoy the rather spectacular sounds of the Tyros' MIDI synth mixed with the Realtracks/Realdrums and all coming out of one speaker system.
I'm rather surprised to read that your Tyros2 does not have a stereo Audio Input on it. You may want to recheck that in the manual, for if it does, you can simply connect the LINE output or Earphone output of your PC to the Audio Input of the keybpoard and should be able to hear both MIDI from the keyboard and Realtracks from BB through the keyboard's speaker system.
--Mac
devonplayer, I just viewed the .pdf manual for the Tyros 2, available on the Yamaha website.
This keyboard does indeed have a Stereo Line Input on it.
You can connect the L and R audio outputs of your computer, either from Line Out if desktop or if laptop, use the Earphone jack as Line Out, and, using the proper adaptor plugs and cabling to suit, hear both the MIDI and Realtracks coming from the Tyros 2 speakers.
--Mac
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In the past I used to play midi with the performance playing through the Tyros speakers but could never seem to get satisfaction trying to play the realtracks and drums. (lock ups etc.)
What cabling is required from PC to tyros apart from the host cable at present installed?
BTW w7 is 64 bit any problem?
I'm thinking you should be able to get this going.
As far as the audio part goes, just run some audio cables from your sound card to the aux inputs on your Tyros. Playback from most computer audio cards isn't that bad, it's the inputs that suffer a little.
As far as midi goes, your usb connection should work for that. Download the MEGAEnhancer V1.3.2 for Win (XP 32-bit / Vista 32-bit / Win7 32-bit, 64-bit) and see if you can get it going.
Post back with any problems and we'll try to help search out an answer for you.
Also, just in case you didn't know, Sampletank free comes with biab2013. It's identical to the paid version except for the sound libraries. Also, eSoundz has Omnisynth 2 (gm set for Sampletank) on sale for $10. I have Omnisynth 2, and it's easily on par with the gm set in your Tyros. It's gm except for channel 10 drums. I usually just use realdrums, or manually load drums in Sampletank.
The reason I like to have a soft synth in biab is for rendering. If you use midi to an outboard device you have to play the song through, recording the audio as it plays. With a soft synth it renders the file at high speed without playback.
http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.p...;gonew=1#UNREAD
Edit: I see Mac posted while I was typing this. :>) I'm slow.
I also wanted to add a reminder that you're not stuck with just the gm set in your Tyros, as you can use any voice in it. Just use the gm set to get the arrangement going, then manually set a better voice for recording. So you really don't need a soft synth unless you'd just like one for the convenience.
You members have convinced me with your advice and thanks for the time freely given with your posts above.
I will place an order for 2013 biab upgrade with pgmusic on the basis of info. above.
So sometime in the new year I will hopefully be sending another post of thanks.
Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year.
cakewalk Instrument Definitions for YAMAHA PSR-8000, PSR-9000, Tyros, Tyros 2, Tyros 3, Tyros 4, PRS-S700 and PSR-S900
http://www.heikoplate.de/mambo/index.php...1&Itemid=58How to convert a PowerTracks or RealBand .ini file, or Cakewalk .ins file, to a Band-in-a-Box patch map (.pat file)
http://www.pgmusic.com/tutorial_bbwpatchmap.htm#convertonce the cakewalk Instrument Definition file is converted to a BIAB pat file you can use the non Gm sounds in your Tyros 2 if you like
How to access higher bank patches other than the basic General MIDI patches
http://www.pgmusic.com/tutorial_bbwpatchmap.htm#higherbanks
Thanks boemike for giving your time and expertise on this very involved subject, So does that mean that a soft synth is not a necessity?
OK folks. I have got the audio leads and connected up to my W7/64 bit quad core PC and installed my real tracks and drums from my 2008 version together with the Coyote trial download.
Yes I have got results, the ~Tyros 2 plays the demo music at real tracks and drums. Also lets me play midi to accompany, (I am not sure if my tyros keyboard is playing the midi through the coyote synth or the #GM voices?)
Problems so far;
I have to pull out my PC speaker plug (which is stero) and insert the tyros audio leads which is a nuiance, (is there a way of splitting from the PC socket to accommodate both?)
I also have a second computer adjacent which is the previous XP pro and is handy because leads could stay in permanently etc. However the XP computer cannot cope with the audio (in my opinion) its keeps locking up which it did previously and the reason I never progressed beyond biab 2008 for audio.
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......I have to pull out my PC speaker plug (which is stero) and insert the tyros audio leads which is a nuiance, (is there a way of splitting from the PC socket to accommodate both?).......
The best way I know of is to have a small mixer. Come out of the pc to the mixer, then take the main outputs of the mixer to your speakers. Feed the T2 with the aux outputs from the mixer. (They may be called something else, such as tape out.)
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When we say that a synth is GM compatible, it means that there is a basic set of instruments in the Tyros that will be triggered by default when BiaB sends instructions to it. Those instruments sound pretty good, but there are many other sets of instruments in the Tyros that will sound even better. The "Live" and 'Sweet" voices, for instance, are over and above the GM set. You can access these from BiaB with a bit of programming.
Here is an example: On my Yamaha, the "Live" piano is voice #1, MSB 000, LSB 113. When I tell BiaB to call these numbers, the "Live" piano is what I hear.
Look in the back of your Tyros manual to see the codes and numbers for all the voices the Tyros has.
Then get the patchmap that PGHBOEMIKE sent you installed in BiaB and figured out. When you have these working, you will get sounds out of the Tyros that beat any soft synth.
There is a learning curve to all this, but I promise you it will be worth it.
(All these instructions are digital code in the language called 'MIDI.' They are communicated using a USB cable from the computer to the Tyros. The realtracks are Audio, not digital, not MIDI, and require the audio connections described by others above.)
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CORRECTION: The patchmap that lets BiaB call the higher patches of the Tyros is already installed in BiaB. Click the tiny plus sign next to the Volume setting window in BiaB to get it set up.
Thanks Flatfoot.
I have found the plus sign and it leads me to the dialogue box and those I assume xg voices but when I select a voice from the list it appears at the instument box in biab but as soon as the play button is touched it reverts back to its original voice saved in my music files.
My Tyros I have set to midi etc. and that is not performing an oboe voice either which had been set at biab.,
So can you tell me where I am going astray, I assume I have to load something more to biab? It is not sending any message to the tyros
First, try hitting the Play button, and then try to change a Patch voice while the song is playing. This can tell you that things such as MIDI hookup and MSB/LSB commands are getting thru to the Tyros.
If the Patch does change while the song is playing, try again to change the Patch after hitting Stop, make sure you are on the first bar of the song, change the Patch and then try again.
There is an older way to save a songfile with the selected Patch changes as well, look under the File menu for the "Save Song with Patches and Harmony" command, that will open a little window where you will see all the Tracks listed at left, check the ones that you want to save, make sure to check the stuff to the right and include the MSB/LSB and Save the songfile that way, then try playback, make sure you use the GENPLAY or PLAY button and not Replay.
--Mac
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I have found the plus sign and it leads me to the dialogue box and those I assume xg voices but when I select a voice from the list it appears at the instument box in biab but as soon as the play button is touched it reverts back to its original voice saved in my music files.
Devon, sorry I misled you about the audio inputs. I was a bit rushed when I looked at the owners manual and only saw the first page of the picture of the back of your Tyros, turns out those audio inputs were pictured on the next page. Duh...
Anyway two things in the quote above. It's only playing the xg voices if you have Biab set to transmit in xg and when you say your music files I'm assuming those are midi files, correct? If so then the instrument patches are saved in the midi file itself. You can make all the live changes you want but until you resave the midi file with the new instrument patch (program change) it will revert back to what was saved originally as soon as you stop it and hit play. I pulled my hair out lots of times about that one. It's called "Why the **** doesn't it remember when I change the flippin instrument!??!" It looks at first like it's a Biab problem but it's not, Biab or any midi program is merely reading what is saved in the file.
Lots of things to keep track of when you're dealing with midi but you're getting there.
Bob
Mac said what I would have said.
Thanks Mac, I had forgotten all about that saving method, that is bound to work.
Thanks to you as well Bob. (I'm over 75 and I'm ok with these set ups as long as its current, but go back a couple of months or whatever and things need relearning if you know what I mean)
But its good when friends and members help each other out because BIAB has many facets to keep up with.