The High-Q patches replace existing normal MIDI patches that by default are GM patches and the Hi-Q patch will sound better than the GM patch.
Instead of clicking a empty track, select a Style that has MIDI tracks. It can be a hybrid style that has midi and RealTracks. Select a track that has a midi patch and replace that patch with a Hi-Q Midi Patch.
When I right-click on the instrument radio button there is no option to "Select Hi-Q MIDI Synth Patch" as shown in that video.
I see that video is from 2013 so should that option still be there in version 2020?
Thanks
I think the menu options have been rearranged since the video was made.
You probably need to be using a MIDI Style. Please see if this menu works for you:
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Thanks VideoTrack for your reply and the screenshots.
I have that menu on some of the instruments and when I click on "Select High-Q MIDI Patch" I have the "Access violation" error.
I'm using all 'RealTracks' for this project so would that explain the error?
As mentioned earlier, I have installed everything so if this should work with 'RealTracks' then there must be some kind of problem with my install here.
Thanks again for replying and the explanation Jim.
I tried a further experiment and opened a new document and set all MIDI tracks. When I clicked on a radio button to select High-Q I still had the same error message.
Try starting with an all midi style with no RealTracks or RealDrums.
It might be helpful to have a screen shot of your program midi settings. Press both the control and letter e (Ctrl + E) computer keys at the same time to open the Preferences dialog window. Then select the "MIDI Drivers" button.
Noel96 prepared a Tips & Tricks post about how to post a screen shot +++ HERE +++
Thanks VideoTrack for your reply and the screenshots.
I have that menu on some of the instruments and when I click on "Select High-Q MIDI Patch" I have the "Access violation" error.
I'm using all 'RealTracks' for this project so would that explain the error?
As mentioned earlier, I have installed everything so if this should work with 'RealTracks' then there must be some kind of problem with my install here.
You should not have received an Access Violation error. That indicates that the program performed in an unexpected way and was not able to handle the error condition. Is the track that you clicked on Green(RealTracks) or Yellow(MIDI)? If RealTracks, the Hi-Q menu option should not be available? See my results:
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Thanks for all your input and after much trialling I think I have the answer.
It seems that High-Q instruments need Windows Media Player which I have uninstalled. Microsoft have now included the option to uninstall the WMP amongst a few other things.
BiaB also needs the WMP to audition samples of RealTracks when selecting so I don't have that option either.
That Band-in-a-Box automatically direct some audio to Windows Media Player (WMP) trips up a user every so often. But, not often enough that it's automatically something that comes to mind when another user is responding to an issue. There are several tasks where the program uses WMP but I can't remember all of them. One that comes to mind is playback of the chord when you're using the Chord Builder feature.
(Gets on soapbox) It would be nice if PG Music documented what audio tasks call up WMP but they haven't. (Gets off soapbox)
Just a curious question on my part but, why delete Windows Media Player? It doesn't occupy much storage space and, when a program like Band-in-a-Box uses the player, you don't even see the interface.
Should you change your mind and decide you want to reload WMP +++ HERE +++ is a link for downloading the Windows 10 media player.
In fact i dont think you do remove WMP completely you can only add or remove as a windows feature. you do this in the control panel from the left hand menu when in control panel programs and features.
If this is how you removed it you wont need to download it is still there to reactivate.
It's possible to find and delete the core WMP executable but difficult enough most users would not expend the effort.
Besides the player program with an interface that wants to manage your library there is a small executable file.
To eliminate the core executable one would not use the uninstall utility but instead use administrative rights to display hidden files and file explorer to hunt down and delete the specific file. That's a pretty deep dive for most users.
The latest version of Windows does now include a full uninstall of Windows Media Player including a few other now replaced items such as Internet Explorer.
The Media Player is no longer the default now hence Microsoft's decision for it to be uninstalled in later versions. Microsoft has replace it with: Groove Music (default music player), Movies & TV app (default video player) and Photos app (default photo viewer). Personally I use the VLC Media Player.
Uninstalling really does remove it so it can't be 'reinstalled' using the features restore method.
Hi, I have a similar problem, I want take advantage of this thread to expose it.
Every time I tried to load a High-Q instrument from High-Q MIDI Patch Plugin I get an error like this:
Quote:
Instrument: Piano/Classic Electric Piano from bank:2050 was not found!
This happens with any H-Q selected instrument.
I have biab 2020 Ultrapak, the Plogue Sforzando player is installed. I don't know if I made a mistake installing, so I have some doubts:
1. Where should the sforzando sound bank be located? since apparently biab cannot find it in my system. 2. Is this Sforzando sound bank included in the usb hard disk that I received or should I download it from some web site? 3. Is this Sforzando / Sample Tank bank free or is it a limited time demo? 4. How do I set a library of my choice as default in Sforzando player?
In addition to your hard drive you have an online account with PG Music. The online account has download files for everything you've purchased from PG Music since 2014. One or two of the files are the Hi-Q instruments.
PG Music used to include the free versions of SampleTank 2 and 2.5 until 1K Multimedia changed to only 64 bit software starting with either SampleTank 3 or 4. Then PG Music switched to Sforzando because Sforzando offered a 32 bit player. That's why there are duplicate Hi-Q instruments.
The Hi-Q tgs files are located at C:\bb\DX Settings & C:\bbDX Settings\Amplitude on my machine.
Sforzando is free. SampleTank 2 & 2.5 were free. I don't know for sure but I believe 1/kMultimedia still offers some kind of free player.
You can run the PG Music installer executable you download from your online account or from your Ultra PAK hard drive and it will give you the opportunity to select to install just Sforzando.
Thanks, yes, everything is in my account, but it was not necessary to download anything since Sforzando is installed and I found the HI-Q sounds installed in C: \ Program Files \ PG Music Inc \ Band-in-a-Box Sounds.
There in the 'Programs' folder are all the sounds that I think Sforzando should find, but it keeps giving the same error "Instrument [name] from bank:2050 was not found!" when I open Sforzando
It is important to note that I can load the instruments manually since in Sforzando plugin GUI them appear listed en el menu Instrument / User / Program. But aren't that patches supposed to be loaded by selecting them on the instrument track? where btw they are ALL listed. That error message is becoming annoying!
From what you are saying it sounds like you have installed the required components. Two things need to be installed: 1. The Sforzando plugin. You can find the installer in the bb\Data\Installers folder. It doesn't hurt to run it again. 2. The HiQ instrument bank - this is a separate download .exe from Band-in-a-Box ("hiq_instruments...exe") or if you have the UltraPAK HD you will find it in the PGMusic\Installers folder.
After installing you should close and re-open Band-in-a-Box. You could compare yours to my screenshots below and you might be able to notice something different... I right-clicked on a track | Select MIDI patch | Select HiQ, and selected the Rock Organ patch.
Last edited by Andrew - PG Music; 06/10/2009:30 AM.
Wow thanks, Andrew, now all worked fine, I reinstalled Sforzando plugin and the hqi sound library was recognized, anyway I reinstalled both as you suggested.
Sorry I am not an expert in this beyond simple things, my parents are musicians and bought me Band ina box as a birthday gift some years ago and since then I have been in love making music for my songs. I would like a lot a version for cellphone, especially iphone, that I could use outdoors away of home, no need for pc. Thanks!
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