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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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First of all, I have noticed declining RT volumes in the main interface in the last couple of years. My OS is XP-32 and my same audio setup has not been changed. I'm running the latest BIAB & build. Real Band gives me plenty of playback and record volume with the same setup. But in BIAB, I am boosting Piano RTs like 1277, 1264, 1276 to 127 and can still barely hear the playback - (OK I do have a large hearing loss - but in Real Band those RTs generate and I can hear them fine. But in BIAB, it's the "Piano" track that is causing the problem. I have used the BIAB mixer but there is no difference and I'd rather just use the main interface. How is it possible for each BIAB track to become misadjusted . . . or is it? Seems maybe mine has? Are there other volume controls hidden deep in the menus? I've noticed that RTs have a Global volume adjust set at 0. Any ideas guys? Ian 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
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I have noticed a difference in volumes in some RTs over the years. I figure it just has to do with what the mix at the studio. Some are quite softer than others. I usually deal with by creating custom styles and adjusting the volumes via the style editor. This way, I don't have to adjust the volume in each song.
Make sure you don't have volume changes via the spinners or Bar Settings. You may have to end up setting individual part volumes.
R
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Ian, Same issue on my end but not only RT's but midi also. I posted a few questions regarding this issue but from the responses or lack there of I believed it was just an isolated issue on my end. But I know for a fact that when I installed 2012 my playback volume dropped drastically. I 1st thought it was my new laptop as I changed that at the same time, but after trying three different laptops, including the one I used before BIAB 2012 there was no volume increase. I even went to using a small mixer I never needed before. Even had PG Support listen to files I sent them and they too agreed that when these same files were opened/played in 2012 the volume was lower, but never did come up with any rationale as to why this was the case. Bottom-line is that I have learned to live with it, of course this meant adjusting volumes in my 800 song arrangements. Now I understand this is a long response with no help for your situation so please forgive me for that. So lets just say, in the words of "Slick Willy" Bill Clinton, . . . "I feel your pain man".  I wish I had an answer for you as it seems you and I are rowing in the same boat. Later,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Couple of places to double-check:
Is your soundcard mixer turned up for audio?
In BIAB, there are a few global volume settings. Some are for audio, and some are for MIDI. I know I've reduced the volume of audio to better match my MIDI synth; perhaps you've done the same?
Right-click on the Audio radio button, Volume slider
Opt., Preferences, Audio, Peak Limit Enable
And if MIDI is too loud, audio will seem too soft:
Opt., Preferences, Arrange, Normalize MIDI Velocities to ___
Opt., Preferences, MIDI Options, Allow Volume Changes
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Matt,
Thanks I wil do some double checking where you suggested when I get back to my laptop.
Later,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi Ian,
Since you seem to be saying that this volume problem was once okay and has kind of deteriorated over time, it may be a good idea for you to run Band in a Box and select the "Return to Factory Settings" button number two in the Options window, see if that restores the volume for you.
Another point, the Software Mixer Applet in your soundcard or sound device's Controls may also come into play here, make sure that the fader for wav file playback is turned up (I keep mine turned all the way up) and also the Master Fader for the sound device as well.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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It's weird when I read stuff like this because I've not noticed any volume problems since I upgraded my PC last year. Everything is fine for me.
My problem regarding volume is with my keyboards especially my new Kurzweil. A lot of people on the Kurz forum ask about this and the answer is there's so many patches in that thing that it's impossible for them to go in and normalize all of them so if I want to switch patches from piano to organ to vibes for example in the middle of a song and the volumes are way off the only solution is to put those patches in a user bank, adjust the volumes there and save it. This is exactly the same solution with Real Tracks. We're now up to 870 RT's!. That's a lot and I'm sure there can be volume differences from one to the other just like my Kurz patches. If we notice this we can go into the RT folder and grab a file, put it into the RB audio editor and apply some gain change to it and save it.
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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Strange. I have experienced a problem with insufficient volume since the start of 2012. However, this also coincided with a new laptop computer and I thought it was the fault of the soundcard compared to my old desktop Creative SoundBlaster. I have my laptop linked to a pair of self-powered speakers plus a full-up stereo system with mixer and its own speakers and, even with all the knobs turned up full, I still do not have enough volume to practice in my studio (home office actually). I have a very big library of BB tunes I use and I am gradually going through all of them and changing the BB mixer settings to increase the volume of the rhythm section. But I wish I did not have to and it is still not enough. I want my old volumes back.  It seems to me like I need at least a further 180 degrees of knob turning to get where I want to be. It is not helping with the recording projects either.
Grah Jive Talk
"Don't worry baby, they'll swing their arses off."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,158
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Quote:
Couple of places to double-check:
Is your soundcard mixer turned up for audio?
In BIAB, there are a few global volume settings. Some are for audio, and some are for MIDI. I know I've reduced the volume of audio to better match my MIDI synth; perhaps you've done the same?
Right-click on the Audio radio button, Volume slider
Opt., Preferences, Audio, Peak Limit Enable
And if MIDI is too loud, audio will seem too soft:
Opt., Preferences, Arrange, Normalize MIDI Velocities to ___
Opt., Preferences, MIDI Options, Allow Volume Changes
Great post Matt, I have saved that for future reference. Think that is relevant to most people with volume difficulties in biab.
Musiclover
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
It's weird when I read stuff like this because I've not noticed any volume problems since I upgraded my PC last year. Everything is fine for me.
My problem regarding volume is with my keyboards especially my new Kurzweil. A lot of people on the Kurz forum ask about this and the answer is there's so many patches in that thing that it's impossible for them to go in and normalize all of them so if I want to switch patches from piano to organ to vibes for example in the middle of a song and the volumes are way off the only solution is to put those patches in a user bank, adjust the volumes there and save it. This is exactly the same solution with Real Tracks. We're now up to 870 RT's!. That's a lot and I'm sure there can be volume differences from one to the other just like my Kurz patches. If we notice this we can go into the RT folder and grab a file, put it into the RB audio editor and apply some gain change to it and save it.
Bob
Something I did a few years back was similar.I used Cool Edit 2000 now Adobe Audition. It has a feature were you can write a script buy recording moves. So what I did id engage the script recorder then open a RT file, normalize & save. Then stop the recorder. Give the script a name like "RT Normalize". Now you open the batch processor and have it apply this script to a complete folder & all subfolders.In this case the RealTracks main folder.Then go out to dinner.This will normalize every track in the folders.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Another point is like Matt said, there's a lot of "moving parts" involved with this. If you've changed midi synths or like some, you have a bunch of them and switch them using Biab 2012's ability to insert a different VSTi with each instrument, then you have to realize each synth has it's own volume settings. A software synth is exactly the same as my Kurz hardware synth. They use precorded samples and just like our RT's, those samples are recorded and created by the mfgr at slightly different volumes so this problem can not only be caused by changing a particular synth, it can be caused by specific patches in that synth. People will comment here that synth A has better sounds but they like using synth B because the soundset has better overall balance and requires less tweaking to achieve a good overall mix. Welcome to the world of digital audio, it can be very tricky stuff. The only way to stop this from happening is to not play your songs as Biab files because those can change but to render them as audio files and then they are set forever just like buying a CD. If you're like me, I like to play my songs as Biab files because I can experiment with them but I also realize that will change the mix.
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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Quote:
Strange. I have experienced a problem with insufficient volume since the start of 2012. However, this also coincided with a new laptop computer and I thought it was the fault of the soundcard compared to my old desktop Creative SoundBlaster.
I have my laptop linked to a pair of self-powered speakers plus a full-up stereo system with mixer and its own speakers and, even with all the knobs turned up full, I still do not have enough volume to practice in my studio (home office actually).
I have a very big library of BB tunes I use and I am gradually going through all of them and changing the BB mixer settings to increase the volume of the rhythm section. But I wish I did not have to and it is still not enough. I want my old volumes back.
It seems to me like I need at least a further 180 degrees of knob turning to get where I want to be. It is not helping with the recording projects either.
Check your sound device's Software Mixer settings. Sounds like the Faders are not turned up high enough to drive your amplification system well. In my system, I turn the Faders, including the Master fader, ALL THE WAY UP and use the hardware knob at the Amplifier to control level in the room.
--Mac
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