Hi all, I just puchased BIAB and went through the install etc. I am having a great deal of difficulty getting either BIAB or Realband to output any decent kind of volume levels. This is happening to audio, midi and dxi synths (ie CoyoteWT). Its almost to the point of being unusable. I have to crank the pc's system mixer to bust to get any kind of volume out of these programs and out of my speakers. As an example I have some audio ( wavs & mp3) which I previously recorded and I know to be optimized to near 0db. In windows media player or vlc player they play just fine at a good volume level and without cranking the speakers. When I import these files into BIAB or Realband I can hardly hear them on playback even though the pc's mixer/speakers volume level hasn't been changed. I can max out the BIAB mixer and it doesn't seem to make much difference.
I've done a search here on the forum and discovered some references to adjusting individual program volumes with the system mixer but that's limited to what the system speakers can do.
I'm using windows 8 and biab2013 on a laptop. I had previously posted another message indicating that the problem may be in the laptop output and speakers but I have now checked the sound output with both headphones and external speakers and see a definite difference in volume levels between biab and realband compared to other programs playing the same file. Its a huge difference. I'm a novice and just don't know where to go on this. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Are there any types of ini files or such where this can be adjusted? Thanks!
This is a most unusual problem. It's certainly not how BIAB normally works. BIAB is not meant to be playback software for audio files like Windows Media Player. It can do this but it's not its primary function.
I'd suggest that you don't load any wav or mp3 files into BIAB or RB until we get it all going and the volumes organised. That will help us narrow the problem down.
Have you tried generating songs in BIAB? That is, typing in some chords, selecting a style and then hitting "GenPlay" green arrow?
Also, to check the Windows sound volumes ...
1. Start up BIAB.
2. When BIAB has started, click on the speaker icon next to the clock on the task bar (lower right of the screen).
2. Click on "Mixer" (#1 in image below).
3. Adjust the individual volumes of programs (#2).
are you running the audio out thru a USB audio interface? Or thru the laptop's built-in speakers? I run BIAB from a laptop, and it seems to work best when I send output to the same device I use for input... which in my case is a Focusrite Scarlett (and from there to powered speakers.)
I'm not at my music computer at the moment so I can't remember step by step instructions to the audio setup ... but it is in the audio setup that you select audio drivers (which would include the drivers for your laptops built-in speakers or any other audio drivers that may be installed)
When I have dramatically different audio results between programs its usually because I'm using different audio drivers in the programs.
. I would call PG Music Tech support at this point. There is a whole world of possible solutions to this problem. Could be in any one of a number of components involved in generating sound from BiaB. Better to have somebody on the phone who can tell you to try different things until you find the problem.
You will find that the tech support people are awfully good at this. They help people get up and running all day long. The quality of user support PG provides is outstanding. I have been gratified to know that I am working with an outstanding company every time I call.
Flatfoot sez: Call me when 'Talent-in-a-Box' is ready to ship! -- [8{>
Yes I've played with the mixer Noel. The applications seem closely tied to the main mixer volume output. Changing the application volume will change the main mixer as well. I can never exceed the volume of the main but I can make the application volume lower than the main. I want to go the other way. Esp. biab. Curiously, the biab application slider disappears from the mixer occasionaly. Even though biab is running there is no slider for it in the mixer. Seems to happen during and after I play back a song.
For testing, I have used some material that I recorded with powertracks on another pc as well as some of the biab demo files. I have also generated tracks to see how that works out, but in each case the volume output of biab is low. Realband is less of a problem than biab. I've been using the coyotewt as a sound source for now. I can boost that by 6db in its own context menu and that helps some.
I exported some material from biab to a wav file. The wav file seems to be about 5 times louder ( ie normal) but that is a very subjective opinion.
I am using an m-track interface. I have been trying to check the sound levels with just the laptop speakers, however I have hooked up some powered speakers to the m-audio device and gone out that way. I can get volume doing this but biab is still not outputting the volume of other software. I am playing around with the a couple of asio drivers to see how that plays out but it seems that may not be the source of the problem.
I guess I am thinking that the volume of the same material being output from different software sources should be at the same volume levels. Perhaps I'm wrong of assuming that this should be the case.
I'm am talking to pg support on this and getting some suggestions from them. While some of them can boost the volume out ( ie use peaklimit and boost things there) I don't think that I should have to be doing this. I can also insert a compressor to make things louder, but dont think I should have to do that either.
I'm sure this is probably something simple!! Ha. Thanks for your replies! Terry
.............. While some of them can boost the volume out ( ie use peaklimit and boost things there) I don't think that I should have to be doing this. I can also insert a compressor to make things louder, but dont think I should have to do that either...............
This sorta answers what I was wondering, but for the record, when you open the mixer, under the plugins tab, it shows "none" all the way across, right? (Four nones walk into a bar.... ) And when you open the VST icon, there's no plugin other than the default synth itself, right?
I have your tried returning the "Return to factory settings" under the "Opt" menu. Use the top option as that will not interfere with your sound set up. After you've used this setting, it's necessary to restart BIAB.
Also, if the top option doesn't work, try resetting again using the bottom option. BIAB 2013 will save your sound set-up for you so that you can easily get it back.
Lastly, is it possible for you to grab a screen shot of your Audio Setup (using Snipping Tool) and post it on here? The "File Manager" option that's available when creating a post can be used to insert images. I've highlighted that option on the image below.
I was writing another message and almost finished when it went off into the etherworld. Can't find it anywhere. Matt I'm using an M-Audio M-Track interface. You are correct Ron..there are no plugins at work except for the coyotewt. Noel, your suggestion about resetting to factory has gotten me much closer to the source of the problem. When I did that BIAB was reset to using the mme driver. The volume levels significantly increased. I had been using an asio driver. I currently have 3 asio drivers. One for the m-track, asio4all and the fender universal driver. It seems like all of them output at a reduced volume compared to mme. I will certainly have to investigate this a bit further. This can explain why the same file played back in different applications can be so much different in volume levels. I don't know a heck of a lot about asio other than it reduces latency, which is desirable. I also don't know if these drivers work well with windows 8 or if I should be looking for something else. Perhaps if I want to use asio I'll just have to crank things up (??) Setting up a new pc with a new operating system and software can be such an adventure can't it?
Essentially ASIO provides a shortcut route to the speakers. This is how latency is reduced. ASIO-based problems arise because not all ASIO drivers are the same. Also, for many applications (such as BIAB), ASIO takes control of a soundcard and doesn't let other applications use it. For example, if you're using a sound program that has ASIO installed as it's driver, then start BIAB, it's highly likely that you'll hear nothing from BIAB.
Is lack of latency essential for your use of BIAB? For example, if you're regularly recording audio in BIAB, then latency needs to be as low as possible. I rarely do this so I use the MME driver. The couple of times I've recorded audio in BIAB, I've switched to the ASIO4ALL driver. As soon as I've finished, I change back to MME.
In my DAW, on the other hand, where I do all my recording, ASIO is always set up. Again, I use ASIO4ALL. (My regularly used DAWs are Reaper and Realband.)
I suggest that unless you need to run on low latency, leave MME as your driver in BIAB.
Thanks Noel. I don't think I will be doing much audio recording in biab either and will follow what you are doing and switch to asio when i do that. I'll be using a portable keyboard in biab occasionally.
Mac..I had been trying to set up all of this using the laptop internal speakers which needless to say have something to be desired. I have since set up external speakers for when I am at home. Initially I wanted to be very portable for when I am travelling. Therefore I checked with the internal speakers first.
Understanding the fundamental problem sure goes a long way towards getting to a workable solution.
Mac..I had been trying to set up all of this using the laptop internal speakers which needless to say have something to be desired. I have since set up external speakers for when I am at home. Initially I wanted to be very portable for when I am travelling. Therefore I checked with the internal speakers first.
The Internal Speakers will not work with any external sound device such as that M-Audio. It requires its own set of amplified speakers.
If you have BB or RB set to output through anything other than the laptop's sound device or "soundcard" then your greatly reduced volume situation is likely due to that fact. What you are hearing may be simply "crosstalk" and not the desired signal at all.
And you found that out when the Return to Factory Settings invoked the MME or Windows Sound, which would use the default soundcard inside the laptop.
Lapotop speakers are terrible for music work. Not only not enough power, not able to move enough air, but they simply cannot cover the needed frequency range due to their small size.
Use of headphones might help a lot in that situation. Or a small set of powered speakers, plugged into the earphone jack.
Yes Mac. I've now incorporated both a set of external powered speakers and headphones as well. There has been a lot of headway on this in the past 24 hours and I really want to thank you all so much for taking the time to get me on the road with this. Terry
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) And when you open the VST icon, there's no plugin other than the default synth itself, right?
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