I have been trying to resolve this for nearly two years. It started with version 2022 and I hope I could solve it with 2023 – no luck.
For many years previously I had always started a BIAB song by the press of a key on my keyboard but now I get an access violation sometime during the playing of the song. I use a USB/midi interface between the keyboard and computer and select “pause until midi or key received” I also use a Roland SD-50 for the midi and a Focusright for the midi and audio sounds but the problem is the same if I remove them and just use my laptop. This arrangement worked perfectly for years but stopped with 2022 and I have never been able to make it work since then.
I cannot remember everything I have tried but obviously they include Run As Admin, Restore Factory Settings and Deletion of Mysetupand dk intrface.bbw files. Happens with every type of song or style, Midi or Real Track and is no different between MME and ASIO.
Here is the key..... If I start the song with a key press but then don’t play on my keyboard while BIAB is playing the song then it never happens but if I keep playing then sooner or later I get the violation. This seems to indicate that it is the continuing midi signal from my playing that is causing the problem in the laptop. BTW I have to use the Thru channel otherwise the song doesn't start in the first place.
I tried to enclose one of the BIAB error files but it seems it has to be an image not a text file.
Does anyone else start BIAB with a keyboard press? Any ideas? Thanks
Here is what I'd try to see if it helps me isolate the problem.
(Before doing this, I suggest saving your current setup. This is done with "Options/Save Preferences".)
1. Close BIAB and unplug any USB music connections from the computer (not just from the instrument).
2. Open BIAB.
3. Reset to factory defaults under the Options menu. (I use "Most" in the first instance and if that doesn't work, I use "All".)
4. Exit BIAB to save the new set up and restart BIAB. Leave the USB music connections unplugged.
5. Under Opt/Preferences, set the "Pause playback until MIDI or key received".
6. Load a song, press PLAY and then click on a QWERTY key and see if the song starts generating. (This "Pause playback" option works with QWERTY keys as well. When I do this, the letter I press appears in the chordsheet but it is not part of the generation. I don't know if this is normal behaviour or not.)
Does this work properly? If so, then...
7. Exit BIAB.
8. Plug the USB music connections back into the computer and start BIAB.
9. Check under "Preferences/MIDI Diver" that the correct input driver is selected.
9. Load a song and see if a MIDI key from your Roland will start playback.
Before I do as you suggested I have a couple of comments.
I don't need to prove that pressing a qwerty key will generate then start the song. In fact, since i am having trouble using a piano keyboard press to do this, I always use a foot switch programmed with "space bar" and this works every time with no Access Violation.
I am not sure what you mean by "see if a MIDI key from your Roland will start playback" The Roland synth has no keys and I can always start playback using my computer keyboard. It's just that I always get an access violation if I keep playing the piano while it is connected to the computer and I never get this if I simply stop playing the piano.
I sometimes wonder if I am the only person using a piano keyboard to start BIAB songs becuaue I never hear it mentioned.
I sometimes wonder if I am the only person using a piano keyboard to start BIAB songs because I never hear it mentioned.
Tony
That may be so at the moment Tony! I used that feature for years (Start/Stop) ..... until I updated software to 64 bit and it did not work .... and PG does not want to waste time fixing it .... only 1 person using that feature anyway .... so I gave up.
I sometimes wonder if I am the only person using a piano keyboard to start BIAB songs because I never hear it mentioned.
Tony
That may be so at the moment Tony! I used that feature for years (Start/Stop) ..... until I updated software to 64 bit and it did not work .... and PG does not want to waste time fixing it .... only 1 person using that feature anyway .... so I gave up.
I think it is still in their manual
Erol
Starting by pressing a piano key still works, it's just that I cannot stop this intermittant Access Violation. Actually there is a way to stop it as follows which isn't very practical. 1. Reduce the strength of the Thru signal to -100 in Midi Options. This means you have to hit the piano key very hard to start BIAB. 2. Play as normal with lighter pressure which sends a very weak midi signal which doesn't trigger the access violation
I've added some additional thoughts below given the information you've added.
Originally Posted By: Tony Wright
Thanks Noel I don't need to prove that pressing a qwerty key will generate then start the song. In fact, since i am having trouble using a piano keyboard press to do this, I always use a foot switch programmed with "space bar" and this works every time with no Access Violation.
"Space bar" and "Press any MIDI or QWERTY key" are two different functions in BIAB (see #1 and #2 on the image below). Using your foot-switch that activates the spacebar is not the same as pressing a qwerty key.
Quote:
I am not sure what you mean by "see if a MIDI key from your Roland will start playback" The Roland synth has no keys and I can always start playback using my computer keyboard. It's just that I always get an access violation if I keep playing the piano while it is connected to the computer and I never get this if I simply stop playing the piano.
I didn't realise that the SD-50 was a sound module. I thought it was a Roland keyboard synth.
Does this mean that you have a keyboard connected to BIAB and that BIAB is set to play its MIDI sounds from the Roland SD-50, which means that the keyboard you have connected also accesses the SD-50's sounds? Is the Focusrite mentioned in your original post the device that allows you to connect to your speakers. Also, am I correctly interpreting your original post to mean that you have a separate USB connection for your MIDI keyboard?
If I am correct, are your BIAB MIDI Driver settings as follows?....
(a) Input device = MIDI keyboard through the USB MIDI device
(b) Output device = Roland SD-50 Sound Module (maybe as a VST synth)
I've added some additional thoughts below given the information you've added.
Originally Posted By: Tony Wright
Thanks Noel I don't need to prove that pressing a qwerty key will generate then start the song. In fact, since i am having trouble using a piano keyboard press to do this, I always use a foot switch programmed with "space bar" and this works every time with no Access Violation.
"Space bar" and "Press any MIDI or QWERTY key" are two different functions in BIAB (see #1 and #2 on the image below). Using your foot-switch that activates the spacebar is not the same as pressing a qwerty key.
Quote:
I am not sure what you mean by "see if a MIDI key from your Roland will start playback" The Roland synth has no keys and I can always start playback using my computer keyboard. It's just that I always get an access violation if I keep playing the piano while it is connected to the computer and I never get this if I simply stop playing the piano.
I didn't realise that the SD-50 was a sound module. I thought it was a Roland keyboard synth.
Does this mean that you have a keyboard connected to BIAB and that BIAB is set to play its MIDI sounds from the Roland SD-50, which means that the keyboard you have connected also accesses the SD-50's sounds? Is the Focusrite mentioned in your original post the device that allows you to connect to your speakers. Also, am I correctly interpreting your original post to mean that you have a separate USB connection for your MIDI keyboard?
If I am correct, are your BIAB MIDI Driver settings as follows?....
(a) Input device = MIDI keyboard through the USB MIDI device
(b) Output device = Roland SD-50 Sound Module (maybe as a VST synth)
Regards, --Noel
The way you describe input/output and Preferences is EXACTLY the way I have had things set up for years and it worked perfectly until 2022 when I started getting the access violations while playing. I would add that I also have to have Midi Thru set in Midi options otherwise “pause till midi received” doesn’t start the play.
I think the key points are. 1) The songs continue playing with no interruptions as long as I don’t play along at the same time. If I start to play along then sooner or later I get the violation. 2) It almost seems like BIAB or my computer doesn’t like being connected to my piano keyboard via a midi cable, and continuing to receive midi as I play, while BIAB is also generating it’s own midi. Here’s a clue. If I reduce the Thru strength to say minus100 (in midi options) then the problem disappears but then the midi signal from my piano is too weak to start BIAB playing in the first place. 3) The problem doesn’t seem to have anything to do with using external midi and sound devices because it is exactly the same using just the computer.
I am using WIN10 and have updated but I haven’t tried any computer changes except as noted in my original post.
When you say you "reduce the thru strengths to minus 100" in the MIDI options, which parameter do you set? Maybe I'm not looking in the right location but I cannot see any setting that will accept minus 100.
Also, when you set MIDI thru in Options so that "pause till MIDI received" works, what do you do?
Lastly, when you stop using the external sounds, how do you set BIAB to play from just your computer?
Tony, Did you do Return To Factory settings as Noel suggested. Maybe I missed, but it doesn't show you tried that. I had some Access Violation errors before and applying newly released patch did not solve it for me. Return To Factory settings > ALL, did.
When you say you "reduce the thru strengths to minus 100" in the MIDI options, which parameter do you set? Maybe I'm not looking in the right location but I cannot see any setting that will accept minus 100.
Also, when you set MIDI thru in Options so that "pause till MIDI received" works, what do you do?
Lastly, when you stop using the external sounds, how do you set BIAB to play from just your computer?
Regards, --Noel
Look under "MIDI Options" The sixth box down "MIDI thru" must be ticked if you are going to use a midi sugnal to start play. The box *Boost Thru velocity by" can have numbers from -129 to +129 to decrease or increase the strength of the thru signal. If you use -100 then you have to thump the piano key really hard to get a thru signal. You can run BIAB with just a laptop by using the computer speakers for sound output and vsti/Dxi for midi however it sound terrible.
Thanks for trying to solve my problem I will carry on using a foot switch sending a space bar to start, although I really like the piano key method.
Tony, Did you do Return To Factory settings as Noel suggested. Maybe I missed, but it doesn't show you tried that. I had some Access Violation errors before and applying newly released patch did not solve it for me. Return To Factory settings > ALL, did.
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