Got curious, and just tested VST 1.8.14: It still behaves the same on my system, with Cubase 10. Any MGU wont generate, SGU does generate, but even slower than the 1.7 version, almost a still-stand, thus no sound, and the GUI disappears to the background when you press play ... F

Is there an explanation somewhere of how exactly this should be used?

I can only get the VSTfx in Cubase Elements 9.
By default the Plugin installer don't install the FX plugin (this is lame) you need to copy it from bb\BBPlugin\Files

Huh?; never knew there was an FX version ... what does it do?

PS i copied the FX versions to the appropriate folders, doesn't seem to load in Cubase 10.

The Instrument version VSTi loads into an Instrument track,
the FX version VST loads in an Audio track.
Some DAWs only have Audio tracks like Adobe Audition and Audacity.

Band-in-a-Box DAW VST Plugin.dll
Band-in-a-Box DAW VST FX Plugin.dll

Band-in-a-Box DAW VST3 Plugin.vst3
Band-in-a-Box DAW VST3 FX Plugin.vst3

Band-in-a-Box DAW VST Plugin32.dll (to be released)
Band-in-a-Box DAW VST FX Plugin32.dll (to be released)

OK, did a rescan after placing them, Cubase 10 does not see them on my system ...

You should use the VST3 with Cubase, you don't need to worry about the other plugin types. Let us know if you're still having trouble with Cubase after installing the 1.9.19 update (in build 611).

In our tests the vst3 works fine with Cubase.

One of them or both ?
Band-in-a-Box DAW VST3 Plugin.vst3
Band-in-a-Box DAW VST3 FX Plugin.vst3

Well, something quirky is going on ... just installed v 611, and checked matters.
Seems some oldies linger around as i found them twice already & different here:

You will need to copy and replace them manually from bb\BBPlugin\Files

EDIT:"By default the Plugin installer don't install the FX plugin (this is lame)"

just did ... i'll check them later, funny the file date of the 'new' ones is still 31 december; makes things sort of unclear, before the FX version seemed to be older: 21 december. Thnx

I would of had the pre-release 1.9.19 when I tried it in Cubase LE 9 in the post above, so it should work now for you with one or both of the plugins VSTi/VSTfx, just try it in an instrument and an audio track.

Just tested the standalone version ... loading a full blown complex MGU in 1.9.19 still takes forever, and hangs at 90% ... i waited about 4 minutes, then gave up.

Loading it as VST in an instrument track in Cubase: it's the same story .... besides pressing generate causes the plugin to disappear {repeatedly after addressing it again) to the back ground, just as the older version did ......


Peter, a Q: which Cubase version? Pro 10 i use, and there has been significant changes in the way it handles graphics. Some older plugins don't work anymore, like AVOX and Antares Autotune v 8.1 (crashes Cubase 10) i was told. Both work fine in v 9,5 and before. F

Hi Fiddler,



Version 10. Can you check if your bbw4.exe has the "run as admin" setting checked? It should NOT be (if it is, this could be causing your problems if you're running your DAW normally). To check, right-click on the .exe | Properties | compatibility.

Hello Andrew.

It was not, i set it on, and loaded the VST fresh. It took a while for the same file to even start loading, plugin disappearing to the background again. Loading was very slow as before, and gets stuck again at about 90%. No further loading.
And surprise: it crashed Cubase 10.0.10 Pro. Cubase 10 did not crash earlier on me !! It all turned loose again, after a waiting period of a few minutes .... and the VST wanted to be generated once again ... then stuck at 90%. I give up LoL.
So on or off doesn't make a difference ... Press play on ant track gives the error below ...

PS There were WAV files in the SavedTracks folder, the last one present wouldn't play with Windows Media Player, earliers ones sounded OK (at the end too)

A Q: why is it so difficult to incorporate just an MTC or MidiClock slaving option for BIAB, or better: get a rewire function built in even ????

No, I was confirming that you had it 'OFF', I thought that 'on' could be a cause of the problem.


You can click anywhere on screen to bring it back. Cubase really likes to be in front, and that happens in our testing as well, and we are working on that. This is unrelated to the main problem you are having.


We need to simplify this problem:

1. Load the standalone version.
2. Select any RealStyle (Select button to open StylePicker, click on a style and press OK).
3. Press Generate. Does this work for you?

Done, running as admin, addresses the RT folder all right, selecting a RT, the generate bar works for 2 secs, and then stops. But the track plays.

Loading a MGU midi only works, slow generating, and it works ..

Loading a full blown RT loaded MGU file works but stucks at 90% again, for a long while. The track has not been generated yet message appears when pressing play. (Pressing DEMO produces sound).

The yellow popups indicate somethings generating still, over 5 minutes at least. And after about 8 minutes it works suddenly .... But all it takes tooooooooo long.

PS i am going off-line in a minute or so ... getting late.

Do not run anything as admin.

Just do these exact steps:

Step 1. Open the stand-alone plugin version. To do this, open your Band-in-a-Box folder (bb) and go to BBPlugin\Files. Double-click on "Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin Stand-alone.exe".

Step 2. Click File | New to make sure you have a new session. Then choose a style. To do this click on the Style button and click on Select Style. After a few seconds the StylePicker opens. Click on the style _12STACM. Press OK.

Step 3. Press the Generate button and wait. It should take about one minute. When it's finished, you should see a yellow message box that has the words "render complete" on it, and the progress bar will stop moving and reset back to the left.

At this point you have generated a "song" which is just a C chord played by the style _12STACM, consisting of five RealTracks instrument tracks. When you press the Play button at the top of the stand-alone plugin window, you should hear it play. ...

Question 1: Do you hear it play?


Look in the BBplugin/SavedTracks folder, look for a subfolder that has the latest timestamp. It should be dated when you generated the track. It should have a name that looks something like this: 2019-1-7, 16-56-58. Open this folder. You should see 10 files - some wave, some MIDI files.

Question 2: Do you see these files?

In the Band-in-a-Box plugin, the tracks should have a little green waveform icon in the green boxes to the left of them, and four of them also have a little yellow "note" icon to the right. The waveform indicates audio data is available for that tack, and the note tells you there is MIDI data available (RealCharts).

Hi Andrew

Q1 yes

Q2 yes

The song i was working with before has a 4/4 sig, but about three 2/4 bars, and a few holds.
Can that be maybe a reason why it takes 10 minutes almost to render?

I loaded it fresh after the test, used 'reset to default state' first .....

When i waited it all out rendering, there was a new numbered folder in SavedTracks, and in the root of it two files, 5.mid and 6.mid

See picture: After 10 minutes: only one track showed as rendered, and the VST played it OK, but the rest did not show.
The files seemed present in the appropriate folder however. The marked file was one chaotic musical mess with the tracks in a mix completely out of sync. regs, F

Thanks for the details. Your picture is showing the special tracks (one special/individual track has been generated for some reason). If you scroll up you'll see the style tracks. I think you can delete the individual track.

I'm not sure why it would take 10 minutes. Could you email this specific song file as an attachment to support@pgmusic.com please, Attn Andrew?

Will do later, PM to you possible? Reason it's a song i am in the process of putting together, and not yet fully registered.

Not that i dont trust you LoL, but a friend and I had material stolen before from within the offices of the Dutch royalty collection office, BUMA/Stemra. Their lawyers were alas too powerful for us protecting their own boss, and an external lawyer was helpful but too expensive.

Good story: the 'stolen' song was even promoted on commercial radio here, paid for by a 'suspicious' music mob (hearsay: drugs too) related studio in Tilburg we found out, never proven though. We got help however later with a boycott by some then known DJs ourselves. Also reason why i am with the Belgian SABAM since the eighties. Alas we never got it released properly later, as the lyricist, living here, but from Canada BTW, pulled it all his material back sick of this business with BUMA. He was even on TV with his anti BUMA campagne ...

Can you just change the chords around to any random thing and see if it still does it, if so send that random chord one.

Pipeline, done ...