I'm trying to get my desktop to record and playback but it won't do it. It used to work but I'm darned if I know what's happened. I'm awfully rusty with this stuff. Just getting back into it.

When I select ASIO I get audio but no midi. Not even real instruments will play back. When I change to MME I get midi but no audio. It's gotta be an alien or maybe a government plot.

I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium, 1 teralbyte HD, 8 gigs memory and 6 gig quad CPU

Thanks

Sounds a lot like my system, Russ. What sound card are you using? What has changed since things last worked as they should?

Richard

Hi Richard. The only thing that has changed is the upgrade to 2016. I'm running a RealTech sound system. It don't get any better than that since they improved it. The RealTech is probably built into the MOBO. The computer isn't designed to take on an external board.

Russ,

Are you talking about recording in BIAB or in another program?

Noel

Band in a box and Real Band. Both programs are giving me a hard time.

I'm running my mixers through a USB port. I've got a digitizer attached to the mixer that plugs into the USB ports. I'm confused. Maybe I'm just gettin' too old for this stuff. But I'll think of something. I've done work arounds before.

Russ, it sounds like you are using USB for the mixers, but trying to use the on-MOBO Real-tek audio device. Gotta pick one, can't use both at once.

-Scott

If your computer has a USB port open, you need to go to the music store and buy a decent external USB audio/midi interface.

Focusrite, Presonus, M-Audio...etc... they will all work better than the piece of junk RealTec built in sound card chip. While the RealTec card may work well for listening to mp3 files, you do not want to use it for full duplex recording and playback like we do. They might have improved it, but it still doesn't cut it for recording.

Pick up a nice external interface and install the drivers for it...ASIO.... and you will be amazed at the difference. All of the inputs and outputs on the interface will show up and synths will process properly and in sync without noticeable latency.

Things to look for in the interface you buy: USB connected, 2 channels minimum, audio pre-amps, hi & lo impedance inputs, a sufficient number of outputs as needed...some just supply a stereo (L/R) output, phantom power for condenser mics, uses NATIVE ASIO and not codecs or wrappers. With those specs, you should be good to go.


Since I started digital recording many years ago, I have been using an external Focusrite Saffire music interface. It has migrated from my laptop and now works flawlessly in my desktop DAW. I never use the built in chip for recording. Never.

Herb, it seems that Russ is already running his mixer(s) via USB:

"I'm running my mixers through a USB port. I've got a digitizer attached to the mixer that plugs into the USB ports."

I believe that is the root of his no-sound issue to begin with since he has the mobo-based Real-Tek selected (so it seems) as his default output device.

When he says he 'gets no midi' there's another issue to contend with - Russ hasn't said whether he means midi i/o to external devices, or no midi playback from a computer-based midi GM synth (which used to be all the rage when Russ was last regularly active on these forums years ago).

Russ, be a little more specific and it will help to diagnose your issues.

1. Where are your amp/speakers connected - to the USB mixer or to the speaker output of the MOBO/Real-Tek? Whichever that is has to be selected as your audio output device in Windows and in BIAB.

2. What are you referring to with MIDI - GM synth (drums on ch 10) kind of MIDI, or you can't get MIDI I/O from/to a MIDI keyboard or external sound module/synth?

Hmmmmm ... I'll have to think about this for a bit. First of all I'm using the head phone output on the face of my computer to hear the music. That works fine so long as I can get the music to play. If I use ASIO then I can't hear the midi working but I can do audio fine. If I use MME I can hear the midi just fine once I've got my DXI set up.

The only controllers on this computer are:
1. Midi mapper control
2. GSWavetable
3. No output/input

So I use the GSWavetable in conjunction with the DXI plug (Coyote wavetable). I can use all my controllers. But, for some reason, the MME isn't letting my mixer work. It's like I'm not even plugged in. But when I go into the sound control system of the RealTech it shows that the USB port is being used for the mike.

What's really weird is this system worked just fine before I installed BB 2016. I don't know if there are issues with it or not. But Realband does the same thing so I know it isn't the software perse`. I've just gotta redo my system.

One thing is this computer is broke, so to speak. I can't go online with it. I have several startup DLL's missing. I was hit with a bunch of adware that, eventually, destroyed the system. I need a windows 7 home premium disk to reinstall windows but there doesn't seem to be any available at the stores. I can hardly find win 8 available and probably won't be after the first of the year. So it's either win 9 or 10.

I'm running win 10 on this laptop. I don't like it very much. 7 is a lot easier to use for me. It's still a little like XP, in a way, so I don't have problems with that version.

I'll eventually figure this all out and then I'll have a killer system again. This computer has all the power it needs to be a studio.

One dumb thing I did was when I bought the computer. I bought it set up and ready to go. I've always built my own systems from the ground up but I got lazy this time and went with a ready to use product. I've regretted it ever since.

One last thing. Does anybody happen to have a copy of win 7 home premium handy? If I can reinstall it I'll end my problems. As it is, the on-board restore system won't cut it without the disk. All I need is a copy of the disk. If anybody can spare it then, thanks.

Russ, with this description, I'm fairly certain that installing Win7 will NOT solve your problems. Your problem is that you are using multiple devices for audio and midi.

Your issue stems from the fact that you are using the Real-Tek for audio output while also having a USB enabled mixer (an audio-only sound device) set up as an output device as well.

Windows cannot use both simultaneously as audio output. You have to pick one.

That's one issue.

You need to decide whether or not you need to use ASIO. Recall that the main reason to use ASIO is for low-latency 'live' rendering of either VST or VSTi. There is likely not a directly usable ASIO driver for the Real-Tek on-mobo chipset. If you want to continue using the Real-Tek for primary audio output AND use ASIO, you will need to run ASIO4ALL which 'wraps' the native drivers for the Real-Tek for ASIO use. It generally works pretty well - I've done this for a work laptop where I wanted a DAW-on-a-stick and had to use the Real-Tek on-board.

If you want to use the USB mixer however, you have to ditch using the Real-Tek. Period.

There should be ASIO drivers for the mixer. You didn't mention what the mixer is.

In connection with this is that the mixer will not have any kind of MIDI driver, most likely.

I think if you look up the Soundfonts thread in the forum here, recently posted, you'll see most people are using VSTi like sfz+ or other to render midi inside of the PC, not Coyote. DXi is nearly dead as a protocol - not aware of any developers continuing to develop music based DXi plugins. In fact it's possible that MS ditched on DXi as well with Windows 10.

However, there is a recent thread here about Coyote and Win10: http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=312868

It's probably time to consider 'switching teams' to VSTi. After all, PGMusic started going the way of VST when they bundled in Amplitube a few years back.

Switching over takes a little bit of thought, but not too much.

Do you need to input any MIDI info from keyboards? If not, then the sfz+ VSTi works great for soundfont-based General Midi playback. You might also consider a KONTAKT based player or other for the same functionality but with much more depth and sample quality.

I don't believe there is a direct sample set from Native Instruments, but the default sample set that comes with the free Kontakt player probably has all of the sounds that you need for your song playback - but you will need to do some of your own mapping of GM patch numbers, to the patch numbers in the Kontakt player
http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/samplers/kontakt-5-player/free-download/

This guy has compiled a list of Kontakt libraries to make a GM sound set: http://bigcatinstruments.blogspot.com/2014/08/gm-midi-instruments-for-kontakt.html

IF you get used to using Kontakt player, you might get hooked on the quality and then you'll be looking at expanding your sonic palette with other libraries.

Another option is Sampletank CS.

Yet another option are sample players that come with Computer Music magazine. I think Synthmaster CM has a way to load soundfonts. Not sure about that however.

I commented that you needed a dedicated musical interface BECAUSE....

You mentioned

First.... a mixer via USB with a combo sound card isn't necessarily a good interface. Often it's a combination mixer and sound card.... trying to be both and excelling at neither.

Get a good single purpose USB interface that uses ASIO drivers like I described above and from one of the brands I mentioned. Trust me... you will be happy with the results.

You can not usually use 2 soundcards together which it appears you are trying to do. Listen on the computer card and trying to hear other things from the mixer card..... They don't sync clocks and there are so many other issues.... several of which you are dealing with from what you have said so far.

Get a good interface that gives you the audio and midi inputs and outputs in the same piece of hardware and one that runs on true ASIO drivers. Once you do that, your problems will be over. That system should run on ANY OS that's on the market today from before Vista up to W-10. I have Vista on my lappy and XP-pro-32 on my desktop and they both run fine with the external interface and ASIO drivers. Flawless Performance is the phrase I use.

Before you upgrade the OS or waste time spinning your wheels with other gadgets, buy a nice interface from a store that offers 30 to 45 day no questions asked returns so you feel comfortable trying a good interface before you do other things that probably won't work.

Signal path should be..... mic & guitar direct into the interface, (no mixer needed).... interface connects to the computer.... headphones and speakers connect to the interface for output monitoring. DONE... set up the interface properly and you're golden from that point on.

Midi is similar.... you can run to the interface if it has midi inputs or direct to the computer. The program will see the inputs and you route the output to the audio interface...again.... DONE. And you're golden.

That's the setup I use. ^^^^^ No mixer. Keep it simple and it will work just fine. Lots of guys are gear-heads and have complicated and convoluted signal paths. I guess they like the flashing lights and cables.... just say NO and keep it simple. The interface has audio preamps and all mixing gets done in my DAW software. I get flawless audio and midi performance with NO discernible latency delays on the midi no matter where I use the midi.

Try that before you get more frustrated.

Russ, your internal Real Tec will work just fine for what you want. The semi-pro or pro geeks among us are correct in that an interface is certainly better but lots of folks are using their internal chip with Biab. That will work fine until...

You want to record audio into your computer. That's why you got the mixer. But the problem is as RHarv said, the internal soundcard and the mixer are both audio devices. So, if you want to still use that mixer then you have to select the mixer as your sound device. That will disable the Real Tec which means no midi but I think you would still hear the RT's. Once you have your audio recording in Biab you could switch back to the Real Tec and it should work.

What most guys do who are keeping things simple is to not use a mixer, they'll simply get an adapter and record direct into the line in on the MOBO. The quality will be questionable but you might not notice. When folks say the overall quality of an external interface is so much better many times in the real world, listening on your home sound system, you can't tell the difference.

As far as your problems with your Win 7 install, you did the same thing I did. We both went cheap and didn't want to purchase the physical Win 7 install disc for $160 or whatever it was, we simply bought a PC with an OEM install. What you should have done is create a recovery disc first thing and put it in a drawer. I don't think you did that and neither did I. I'm not sure but I don't think somebody else's recovery disc will work because it's off of their system and authorization. As you said, Win 7 is no longer available unless you happen to find an unused disc on Ebay or something.

A computer repair shop could probably either clean up the problem without reinstalling or reinstall Win 7 but it'll cost you, probably about the same as if you had bought the original disc in the first place. You can call the Geek Squad at a Best Buy and ask what they would charge.

As far as Win 10, it's certainly different looking but under the hood it's still Windows. My sister has a Win 10 laptop and I played with it enough to figure that much out. It's Windows and works fine.

Bob