I recently purchased a new computer that came with Windows 7 (64 bit) installed. BB and PT seem to operate just fine. But when I go to convert *.seq files to audio, I run into a sort of brick wall. The VSTi synth that comes with BB wouldn't install, so I couldn't do a direct conversion as before in Win XP. I attempted to follow the procedure of using my Creative Audigy card. But it appears that pci midi is not supported in Win 7, being superceded by USB MIDI, in other words, external devices. So now I am without a way to convert to an audio file so I can't use the backup arrangements unless I play from a laptop, which I can't afford. Does anyone know of software that can do the conversion? Also, I'd like to be able to use my soundfonts, since some of the instruments on the Creative sound card sound more suitable for an arcade game. Also, part of the arrangements are audio tracks. Help!

Use the Coyote Wavetable synth, comes with recent versions of PGMusic products for just such an occasion.

That said, did you download the most recent drivers from Creative for your Audigy. The new drivers should make the PCI MIDI work, if they are available.

http://support.creative.com/kb/showarticle.aspx?sid=61105

I've got a Creative X-Fi Gamer in a PCI slot on my Windows 7 machine and it works fine. Of course, it won't direct render (you have to "record" the track to convert to audio), but it works fine. As long as you have the appropriate Windows 7 drivers for your Audigy, it should work (make sure you download the most current soundfont bank manager.

If your "Creative instruments" sound like an arcade game, it's probably because you are using the default 2MB soundfont that comes with the card. When you install the driver package, you should also get the 4MB and 8MB soundfonts (still not great, but much better sounding than the 2MB). Or load your own soundfont.

Either way, if you are not using a DXi or VSTi soft synth, you will have to record the track to convert to audio (which you also have to do with external units).

If PowerTracks isn't seeing your card, then it sounds like a driver issue to me.

The sound card works without problem, and I have indeed loaded down the most recent drivers from Creative, so that part is okay. I haven't yet done anything with installing soundfonts, waiting to resolve this issue first. My most recent purchase of PG products was BB 2009.5 as an upgrade. PT shows the card okay, but when I go to windows mixer, the MIDI choice is missing. If I go ahead and install a USB-midi driver for my Casio keyboard, would it maybe allow me to also use my card MIDI port internally? If so, problem solved - I'll just go the 'long' route and record in real time. What do you think?

Read the Creative notes on the new driver; joystick connection does not work in Win7 and the MIDI is on that joystick adapter, right?
Looks like USB is your best choice.
"Gameport is not supported in Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition."

Thanks to your input, I'm re-thinking this pci midi issue, and if there is some obvious workaround. Maybe there is. I'm going to try feeding the sounds of midi playback from the card right back to the card as a stereo audio track. Probably have to be careful not to allow playback of that track during record, which would likely set off massive feedback. Might have to buffer the output/input through my mixer. By the way, thank you very much for mentioning the use of a higher order sound font. About 5 years ago, I lapsed into a very long dry spell, and am now just beginning to come back to life. At one time, I had mapped out several sound fonts, complete with printed references to find them as needed. That all evaporated into thin air, and I am going back to square one to learn it all over again. Your mention of the sound font (8m) jogged my memory. Time to reprint those tutorials! I'll let you know how things work out with the Creative sound card.

USB MIDI should work to Casio also, if you want that option.

I like the 12 meg Chaos soundfont as a starting point. Size wise it's not too heavy, easy to install and modify.
The MIDI to the card itself should work so you can play fonts. The gameport not working often means the MIDI connections from that gameport wire assembly aren't going to work either.

Recording the sound back in as you described is how you will have to do it. The Creative cards don't 'render' like a softsynth, but they do record back in, once routed (enabled) in the Creative mixer.
No need to go out to a mixer, it is all done digitally inside the Creative mixer.

Speaking of the Creative mixer; Not having the original install disk anymore, I went searching for an updated version of the mixer, and found one that seemed to install ok. However, when I try to open it, I get a dialog that says it can't see my card in/out ports. So, I have to rely on the windows mixer that gives me two output options: to speakers or digital. I'm guessing that the speaker outs are line level, since the speakers are typical powered ones (amp contained in the subwoofer). I have tried the line outs, and there's no signal there, probably because those haven't been enabled (catch 22)
Another option, one that was successful years ago, was to record to VCR. The sound quality was more than adequate for what I do.

If the drivers can't find the outputs, you may have installed the wrong drivers.
Did they come from the Creative link I posted above? Pay close attention to the model.
Did you get the 'Audio Console' feature? In there is (suppose to be) your mixer and config for the card.

Sounds to me like Windows may have gone ahead and installed its own generic drivers for the card.

That can happen if you do not say, "No" at the "Found New Hardware" prompt when you first boot the machine with your Creative card in it.

You may have to UNinstall the card, then reboot the machine in order for Windows to do cleanup, then say No to the same prompt and then install the proper driver package from Creative for your OS.


--Mac

And when Mac says UNinstall the card, I think he means to physically remove it. Boot windows without the card in the machine, to cleanly remove the drivers. Then try the reinstall all over again, watching for what Mac stateed.

A similar problem happened to me when I moved to XP with a previous version of the Creative Card. It took me a while to realise the problem. I had all the Audio features but no soundfonts etc.

This thread sort of got sidetracked with everybody talking about how to get your Creative card working with midi and soundfonts. Your original question centers on the fact that the included DXi synth doesn't work for you so you can't do direct rendering. Here's the story on that. The Roland VSC Dxi is an orphan synth, Roland is not supporting it any more and it doesn't work with 64 bit Windows systems. Nothing PG can do about it. However, the Roland TTS-1 does work but it is not sold separately. It's always bundled with most versions of Cakewalk products. That's why PG now sells Cakewalks Music Creator not because you need another sequencer but because it includes the TTS-1. The other very affordable option is the Forte DXi. To me this is the best deal at $40 but a lot of people like the TTS-1 too. All you have to do with the Forte is download the demo. It's fully functional for 30 days, after that give them the $40 and they give you a register key. That avoids all this stuff about soundfonts in your hardware Creative card, you can simply play your songs and render to wav as you asked about in your original question.
I notice you're using Biab 2009.5 I believe the Coyote Wavetable option didn't get included until the 2010 version but you should be able to download it from PG if you want that. It still only uses your on board sound chip for sound and that's not very good but it is a DXi so it will do direct rendering and it's free. Note the Coyote Wavetable and the Coyote Forte DXi are two separate synths. The Forte is much better than the Wavetable.

Bob

I don't think you can download the Coyote Wavetable. Someone asked previously and the response was you had to have BIAB 2010 or later to get it. I suspect it's a licensing issue.

So, I got the Cakewalk Music Creator. Now, how do I use the TTS-1 that comes with it, in Power Tracks (v. 12)? It doesn't show up as a MIDI driver in Power Tracks after I installed MC. Do I have to reboot?

Wilson

Did you install the TTS-1? Does it show up in Cakewalk?

If it is a DXi it has to be installed to the system, then PT will see it.
If it is a VSTi then make a blank track a MIDI track, click the little arrow on far left of track to 'Edit DXi', then in the top box scroll down to 'Install VSTi' (or close) This will open a browse window to allow you to find the .dll file for the TTS-1. Once this is done it will be in your list.

You can then set it as the default synth if desired in MIDI devices area of options-preferences.

I had to reboot, and after I did, the TTS-1 showed up in the DXi list in the MIDI settings. Don't know if it was the rebooting, or restarting PT or if I just wasn't looking in the right place before that, but I got it working now.

Thanks for the reply, rharv!

It was installed, but Windows needed to reboot to get it listed from the registry. Typical.

Hello all,

So once the TTS-1 is installed and working, can you render to WAV (audio) like the old VSC?
Need to know, I just got a Win7 machine also, running BIAB 2009 and PTPA12.

Wayne,

You should .. but you probably tried it by now and know that. If all the programs are working in Win7 you should be good. Not sure how BiaB2009 works in Win7 off the top of my head.

BIAB 2009, works just fine on Win7.

I got Cakewalk Music Creator 6, installed it and the TTS-1 showed up in PTPA 12 and I selected it.
It also shows up in RealBand and I selected it.

In BIAB 2009, it doesn't show up on the dropdown list.
Where do I find it? I assume it's installed correctly because it is there inPTPA12.
It also works well in RealBand. I love the sounds.

I unistalled the Coyote Forte and I rebooted.
The TTS-1 is not there.
I'm stumped.

If anyone else is using TTS-1 with BIAB can you please give me your advice.

Thank you, Wayne,

I have it working. I stumbled on these settings in BIAB.



I think this is good. It plays.

Wayne,

Yes, support has mentioned that often it helps to choose that wavetable synth, even though it isn't being used (since it is rerouted to VSTi). Thanks for the reminder.

Just got my copy of bb2014 BUILD 380, and it looks and feels great, except: In playback, from the first measure on, the beat seems to 'lurch', not being even and smooth. It frequently seems to hesitate for a beat, like someone who is a little on the spastic side. I exported it to a MIDI file, played it on WIN media player, and its fine. I called up a resource meter to watch CPU activity, and there doesn't seem to be anything odd there. Is there a setting (buffer maybe) that I can try?