I am running BIAB 2009 on a Windows 10 laptop.
The volume is VERY low - nearly inaudible.
I've reset BIAB to Factory-Settings. Volume still low.
It is louder with headphones.
It is very loud (great) with external speakers plugged into the laptop (headphone jack).
Listening to YouTube, in a browser, is louder.
Summary: How can I make BIAB-2009 louder?
Thank you

Hi,

Welcome to the forums.

If it's louder with headphones, the low speaker volume sounds like it's due to a Windows setting.

Click on the speaker icon in the task bar and see if volume sliders are up.

I don't know Windows 10 but on Windows 7 I can right-click on the speaker icon, select "Playback devices" and then, by entering into to "Speaker properties" I can set individual slider volumes.

Hope this helps,
Noel

• my latest song : This Road

You can access the sound devices and volume the same way in Windows 10.

No, my friends. I appreciate these comments but my issue is not resolved.
Again, I should point out that EVERYTHING works fine ...except... volume inside BIAB. BTW: I am using BIAB 2009.
Low volume is resolved by connecting external speakers to the laptop.
YouTube plays at a satisfactory volume.
When I click the speakers in the configuration utility, the sound is loud.
It is ONLY inside BIAB where the volume is unacceptably low.
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One closing comment: I'm 64 years old, and this wouldn't be the first time, I was missing something obvious. I am "technical" but not when it comes to audio. e.g. I know nothing about CODEC.
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However, I feel that there may be something wrong with the configuration inside BIAB. And I did Reset to factory settings but that didn't fix it.
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So .... more ideas will be appreciated. I can't uninstall and reinstall because I can't find the CD. (I could order a replacement CD for only $5.00 but haven't). Another approach is to buy a new version but I use the program lightly and would prefer to wait to upgrade.
Thanks. Sorry.
David

David, that's a good problem statement now. I really don't know the answer, and BIAB 2009 is so long ago that I don't remember what the menu options would have been. I think I know this stuff pretty well and I'm older than you, but I have limitations!

So, my suggestion is to contact PG Music Support. They may even have an older working version of BIAB, but especially, they can remote into your machine and try to find the problem.

Be sure to post the solution once it's known, so we can all help others.

I first thought the solution lies with your external speakers or mixer - whatever you are using - since the headphone jack works. It doesn't seem like it could be a BIAB problem, and yet you say everything else works...

BIAB 2009 had some early RealTracks and RealDrums. Could you give us one more possible clue: is the sound of MIDI and RealTracks equally low, or is one affected more than another?

1. I just tried BIAB 2009 on a laptop I used before the low-volume laptop. Perfect, loud (no problem).
So either low-volume laptop is misconfigured or has a HW/SW issue that seemingly effects only BIAB.

2. PGMusic is closed now (I can't inquire) but I'd expect a fee for BIAB 2009 support. I'd likely prefer to otherwise employ my PGMusic dollars.

3. You asked:
" is the sound of MIDI and RealTracks equally low, or is one affected more than another? "
I only use the most basic BIAB features. I don't know how to test that. Thanks

I'm quietly hoping that somebody writes: "Have you tried this?"

It may or may not fix the problem, but just thought I would ask. Are you running the latest BIAB 2009 patch (BIAB 2009.5 Build 287), which can be found way down on this page.

I think I have an old VM setup which may have 2009 on it. If I remember, I'll take a look this evening.

You can set the volume for an app in windows 10
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.thewindowsclub.com/adjust-volume-for-individual-programs-windows/amp

Thanks Peter. I found this. The volume for Band in a Box was 100%. But thank you.
I continue to feel that this is some setting in the program - an obvious setting to experienced users. I am a beginner. I don't know anything about Midi or drum tracks or anything. I just type in chords and play along. But thank you.

Are you using mainly MIDI, or also RealTracks/RealDrums?

If MIDI, what MIDI synth are you using to get sound?

One thing you can do is normalize MIDI tracks to a higher velocity, which will result in louder sound.

I don't have 2009 in front of me, but just look for "normalize" in the user manual or the help system.

This is pitiful, but I don't know if I'm using Midi.
I bought BIAB 2009 because my guitar teacher told me to.
I enter chord progressions and play along.
That's it.
I either hear BIAB through the laptop speakers (volume too low) or through external speakers (volume good).
That's it.
So perhaps I could "turn MIDI off" entirely?

Did 2009 have a mixer? If so is it on the main screen or buried in some menu? I honestly can't remember.

If BiaB 2009 has a mixer turn everything up and see what you get.

Check under options/preferences/MIDI driver and let us know what you have highlighted in the MIDI input driver and MIDI output driver.

To clarify, the problem is that BIAB 2009 plays back very low over the laptop speakers? That's the only problem? Other programs play loud enough on the laptop speakers?

We still need more info.

Does this song have RealTracks and/or RealDrums?

Does this song have MIDI?

As Mario mentioned, what does it say in Preferences, MIDI Driver for Output?

Cardinal24. If you have 2009 version you'll likely be using MIDI tracks, The problem may be with the laptop itself. Some laptops (one of mine included) have very low speaker volume. Completely unsatisfactory for playing music along with another instrument. I recall you mentioned that external amp was OK, and that other sound sources were OK though (e.g. YouTube). Don't discount that you may need to use some kind of powered speaker connected to the laptop audio out.

Trevor, if I understood the prior posts, he has an external amp. Playing through laptop speakers is never recommended, but at least it works somewhat with all other programs beside BIAB. If I read right...

I'll try to take a look at it tonight after work and see if there's anything that pops up with v2009 (I'm pretty sure I still have it installed on a VM).

I still am curious about the MIDI sound source, as that can also affect volume. I seem to remember the VSC-3 had some volume control and could put out pretty high volume.

But the fact that it plays fine with external speakers (and I presume the other apps don't then play louder as a result of that) has me confuzzled, but that only BIAB is low in volume on the internal speakers, but not the xternal speakers.

I agree, it's probably MIDI, since RT's were so new then. And I don't believe there were any RT "styles" then, just the ability to select an RT form the RT picker and substitute.

But I'll know more when I jog my memory by firing it up.

Things that make you go hmmmm....

Just doing an install right now (not on Win10; I'll do that in a little bit). However, I noticed that BIAB2009 comes with the VSC soft synth (both DXi and VSTi); however, it doesn't work on 64-bit WIndows.

So, I'm still curious about the sound source. Sounds like it's just the default Windows softsynth.

Cardinal24, would you please click on the top menu line and select "Opt", "MIDI/Audio Driver Setup" and let us know what your MIDI output driver is?

Hi.
1) I don't have an external "amp". I just have some speakers that I plug into the headphone jack. They play the .SGU "songs" I create plenty-loud. The laptop's internal speakers are NOT loud enough (on .SGU files).
2) I did notice something potentially-helpful today.

This may help you to help me...
.WAV and .MGU songs play louder than .SGU songs.

Note: I know almost nothing about BIAB (but I'm otherwise technical.)

Again: I use BAIB like this - Very SIMPLY:
I click New.
I enter one chord, like DMaj9#11.
I "extend" it to measure 33. I say "repeat 40 times".
So BIAB 2009 plays 1200 measures of my one chord. I accompany. Simple!
I save the "song". It gets saved as a .SGU (which I think is the problem. SGUs aren't as loud as .WAV or .MGU files).

So I tried various songs that shipped with BIAB. I loaded .WAV files (louder) - .MGU files (louder).
So ... my discovery:
Some file formats are louder (.WAV, .MGU). Some file formats are softer (.SGU).
I don't why there are multiple formats. But I thought this might help you to help me.

Just to recap: Every sound function on this laptop works fine (loud) - EXCEPT playing .SGU "songs" that I've created using the laptop's speakers. If I plug in external speakers: Fine. If I use YouTube: fine.
Thanks

Cool chord, DMaj9#11. You can play on that all night!

OK, we're getting closer with more information.

A .WAV file is audio (so is an .MP3). An .SGU file is a song track of BIAB without a melody. It could be all MIDI, all RealTracks, or a combination. If it has a melody, that melody is saved as .MGU. That melody would be MIDI.

When you play a .MGU file, is the background playing still soft, while the melody is loud? If you don't have a melody, add one and test.

There are ways to balance MIDI and audio, assuming you have a combination and are running very early RealTracks and RealDrums. I just don't remember that far back to advise you what BIAB was like then. Something out of balance would explain why an .MGU and a .SGU would not be the same volume.

Given this info, perhaps it will guide you to know what kind of file gives the problem.

By the way, your external speakers probably have one or probably two external amps. If they didn't they would be no louder than the laptop's speakers.

John asked this:

Cardinal24, would you please click on the top menu line and select "Opt", "MIDI/Audio Driver Setup" and let us know what your MIDI output driver is?

Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth

Hi David,

Some other things that are worth testing that may help identify the issue...

1. Does this happen with all styles or is it just a particular style?

2. Rather than pushing the limits of repetition of cycling through 40 choruses, have you tried simply setting the song to (say) eight bars long and then looping through those eight bars indefinitely?

• Looping is found under the button "Loop" that sits immediately to the right of "Generate and play" (with BIAB 2017; I'm not sure where this isn BIAB 2009).

3. What happens if you load in one of the MGU files that work fine, and use that at a template for your backing? To do this...

• Open the MGU file.
• Save as a new name so that you don't overwrite the original.
• Delete all the chords.
• Add Dmaj9#11 to bar 1.
• Mute the melody and generate and play

4. Is a particular track louder/softer than the others?

5. Have you tried downloading and installing the latest update for BIAB 2009 found at the link below? Right-click and select "Run as administrator" when installing it.

http://www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#288

Regards,
Noel

This is interesting, and may or may not be related. I can understand that the WAV files may have a different volume.
The MGU and SGU comparison is a little more confusing.
The M in MGU indicates that the song has a recorded Melody track. That shouldn't change the volume though. How did you create the .SGU and .MGU song files?

I updated the version to 2009.5 Build 287 (as suggested by John, in an earlier post)

Someone's asked: "How do I enter my songs?"
Again:
- I click New"
- I type ONE chord (see above)
-I set BIAB to play the one chord repeatedly (32 measures repeated 40 times)

Please understand: I do nothing else. I'm using BIAB to play one chord repeatedly.

Others have asked me to try certain things. I haven't tried those yet. I'll report back.

I did load 2009 on my Windows 10 system and tried the default Microsoft sounds, and several other synths I already have on that system, and they all sounded pretty equal volume-wise.

You didn't say what kind of laptop. I know on my laptop, the sound card actually splits out the speakers versus the headphones, so volume can be adjusted independently.

This is just an offchance suggestion, but you might want to try downloading the ASIO4ALL and see if it works with you laptop's sound card and see if it makes a difference.

Just a thought.

We can talk you through it if necessary.

It is an HP EliteBook 8440w.

Hmmm, my laptop is an HP (not Elitebook) from a 2011 vintage; however, I had to downgrade it to Windows 7, since the Windows 10 anniversary update rendered it unbootable (after Windows 10 had been working fine since it was publicly released) and I didn't have time to troubleshoot the problem (lost of folks on web apparently reported the same problem).

Anyway, I did try it on my HP desktop, using the internal sound card and the volume was consistent, now matter what I was playing.

Did you ever try to "normalize" your MIDI volumes (I think that was available in your version). Set it to 110 or 120 and see if that helps. I'm not at my machine right now, but I think it's under Preferences, then in the "Arrange" tab.

Also, have you tried several different styles? Some styles are much quieter than others. MIDI normalize will help level out all the styles. It doesn't make all the volumes the same, but basically it raises the MIDI velocity (which affects volume) center. So, if all the MIDI data was defined to play at a velocity of between 44 at 64 (which allows for some dynamic variance), then the MIDI center is around 55. If you then set MIDI normalize to say 85, then the MIDI velocities are adjusted to play in the range of 74 to 94, making it louder, but still preserving dynamic range.

By the way, this was one of my suggestions many years back that was implemented by PGMusic.

Yes, good idea, John. That's one of the adjustments I was referring to, but we still don't know if the OP is hearing MIDI or audio in the one-chord song.

Matt, audio as in RealTracks?

Cardinal24, in BiaB, are the tracks shown as yellow or green colored font?

Trevor, yes, exactly. But I don't remember if version 2009 had that color distinction. RealTracks were only one year old at that point.

Matt, thanks. Yes I did not know if the Yellow and Green codes were used. There were certainly very few RealTracks available at that time (just 3 for the preceding 2008 version if I recall).

Others might recall if the Yellow/Green color coding was used in 2009?

Trev,

In case it's useful information...

If you've kept updating BIAB in the same directory over the years, you'll have all the user manuals in x:\bb from when you first created the directory. That's what I use to look up things for older versions.

The image below from the 2009 manual shows that the present colour coding system was in place at that time.

Regards,
Noel

That's what I do also (look at the old user manuals). Comes in handy when someone asks a question about an older version that I no longer have installed.

Noel, thanks for the tip champ.

Really appreciated.

I hadn't thought to follow that path.

Trev