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At this point I'm suspecting everything, especially that 1 usb port. I have a lot of hubs working off of it and I'm sure that's some of the problem too...sigh. Although, everything does work, kinda sorta, there's that 1 issue. O well, at least it's not inhibiting me from doing things. I'm at that phase in life (CRS) and that could be some of the issue as well.  O well, thanks for the input, Wrkinit
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Your problem is most likely the USB port on the older computer. It may be malfunctioning, or it might jsut be that the computer was built at a time when the USB implementation wasn't up to what it is capable of today, which is highly likely.
The Sonic Cell may require USB 1.1 at the least and very likely that would be marginal bandwidth for the device, with USB 2.0 likely being the preferred.
**You might find a BIOS flash and newer USB drivers for the computer on the mfrs website, may or may not provide functionality here.**
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 88
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Thanks for the heads up Mac. The more I think about it, you’re probably right. I’ve been having issues of late with that usb port. I’ll look into the bios and the newer 2.0 usb drivers. When I tried to have the 256mb memory increased I was told that the mother board was dated and the memory couldn’t be upgraded There lies' some of the other issues with it being so old. At least it does work, but I know it could perform a lot better. Thanks again for all the support.
Wrkinit (I'm still hopeful)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hope is not gonna work here.
If the laptop cannot accept more than 256megs of ram, that is the end of the road, you'd be far better off looking for a newer used laptop or the likes, one that can do the kind of job demanded here.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I hear you Mac, but I do have another one (with larger memory) that does work. Both of these laptops are older, but do what I need, for the most part. They have built in 3.5 floppy drives and CD/DVD burners also usb capability. They don't make them like that anymore...so...I did as you suggested and downloaded everything I could to update that Compaq, but to no avail. It's not a big deal breaker, but it would've been nice to have that one work off the usb cable, on the SC, as well.
Still, Wrkinit
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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256Mb of ram? That laptop must be 10 years old. I have a friend who still uses Biab 2007 or something like that. He had an old Pentium III with 256 of ram. It would barely handle midi only using the Roland VSC. His was upgradable to 512 and he found a ram stick for $10 and that helped. A year later I gave him my old P4 with 2 gigs ram and everything is perfect. You really need something newer.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Well, as I stated in my last post, I do have another laptop that works. It's the older 1 that's at least 20 + something that's the issue. And I also use BIAB 2007.5 and 2009.5 which works just fine for me. There is a Yahoo BIAB forum that discussed "New and Improved" BIAB midi updates. Which basically addressed the abandonment of the midi portion of the program or the lack there of. Anyway, I've suspected all along that the older of my 2 laptops was just too antiquated to run the SC the way I wanted. I thought a while back I was able to use the usb cable with it, but maybe I was wrong. It does work using midi cables and the lap does recognize that the cable is connected, but that's about it, so it's not really a big thing.
Thanks for responding, just the same.
Wrkinit
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I missed your last post but floppy drives? Everything I said still stands. If you can make that "newer" one work great but man, it's time to retire that thing. They don't make them like that any more? They sure don't, nothing modern would work on it if they did. The thing is, I'm probably the only one here who actually engages someone with an antique computer and tells them they really need to upgrade. This isn't the first time and guess what, everybody else has upgraded. The other posters in this thread probably to their credit  just stay polite and make a few suggestions. Me, I tell it like it is. You're wasting your time believe me trying to chase incompatibility issues with a laptop that old. If it's not this issue today, it'll be something else tomorrow until you finally trash it and and get something that's less than 5 years old. Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Here's the thing, Bob since you aren't following the entire thread. The old laptop works just fine, except for that one *small* issue of not being able to select the SC as a device. However, as I stated before, the *older* laptop (was inexpensive and is dedicated more for music) sees the connection and works using my midi connection and not the usb cable. This is a minor thing and I am well aware that a brand new computer, more than likely, would be less of a hassle in that regard, maybe? My other laptop, also an older model, has a faster cpu, more memory and the same built in devices (floppy and CD/DVD burner), works and sees the SC as it should. So to suggest I trash the problem child for a newer model, because it's old, reminds me of the saying, "If it ain't broke..." I am not of the "rich" school of buying the newest thing on the market (technology wise) to be ahead of or keeping up with the pack. I don't have it like that and I'm really not interested in pleasing others because it's the "in" thing to do.
Often times, the new and improved has it's own set of issues, OS, drivers, software compatibility and the like. So don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the feedback on this, but your mode of thought is, well let's just say, not how I would roll. When I posted my dilemma, I *thought* there was something I was missing, because I had believed at one time, it did work.
FWIW, Wrkinit
Last edited by Wrkit; 05/05/12 07:10 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
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Yep, if you're using biab with an external sound-module and no realtracks or vsti, your old computer "should" work. Midi is very light on cpu.
Free tools for Biab: Biab Scales and BIArpeggio to practice scales/arpeggio Biab Explorer: the other song picker
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Sometimes using a Powered USB Hub can work on older machines where the USB connection does not seem to be able to work with certain devices.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I am using a powered usb and that has helped, somewhat. Old is what it is...sigh!
Wrkint
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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It's always been problematic (2nd hand purchase for under $100.00), but since there is only 1 port on this older machine and I'm not sure if the upgrade I did from 1.1 to 2.0 worked or helped? I use 2 hubs (1 is powered and the other is not) that run most of the other (8) usb connections I have.
Removing everything and just connecting the SC to the usb port by itself didn't seem to make it work either. The laptop knows when it is connected and when it's not, but that's it, so the usb port and cable do work. How well it does work is another matter, in terms of it being capable of running newer and more demanding technology, that's the gist.
However, the SC does work using the *usb* cable and port, on my other laptop, so it's not a really pressing matter. I was just curious as to whether or not it could/did on the older of the 2 laps.
Wrkinit
Last edited by Wrkit; 05/07/12 07:16 AM.
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