PG Music Home Forums PG Music Product Forums Band-in-a-Box for Windows Putting my own bass (or any other instrument) part in BIAB or Realband songs

First sorry for putting this all in a PM ignore that.

Also my apologies for format I seem to have lost all formatting ability in my posts - so all intents, etc. are gone, as are indented numbered paragraphs with sub-paragraphs so this reads like a long list

Second, I FULLY concur with Mountainside, stick to it - it will pay off and you'll be glad you dug under the hood a little. However, maybe little more methodical approach might be needed for you initial troubleshooting. A lot of experienced folks here with a lot of great ideas, but all are coming at you like a fire hose and from different directions.

Report back where the below works and where it fails! And if you get to last part then the BIAB help floodgates will open.

I'd start at the beginning: with the MIDI I/O, without worrying about BIAB, RB, or KORG M50, to make sure MIDI data is actually making into the laptop.

1. What is your operating system (not sure I saw that above) Win XP? Win 7? Win 8? So we know, then we can tell you where in the WINDOWS system to look to see if the MIDI device (the E-Mu cable) is even being seen. Knowing the OS also helps us focus's help to you - it makes help specific to your situation.

2. Now let's check to see if the PC (laptop) even SEES the MIDI device (the E-Mu cable). This removes the complexity of BIAB and RB from adding to any confusion. If the cable is plugged into your laptop, even if M50 is not connected or turned on - the MIDI device (your EMU cable) should show up in the "Control Panel" -> "Device Manager" under the heading:

For Win 7 "Sound, Video and Game devices" (Win 8 probably says same thing)

For Win XP it would be "Sound, Video and Game controllers"

In any case, if you expand that list of devices for WIN 7 you should see either something that says E-MU or maybe a generic "USB MIDI" etc. device but word MIDI will be probably be visible on one of those lines.

I just tried a generic USB to MIDI cable on my WIN XP laptop and there it was called "USB Audio Device" but when I open properties for it - it shows as a MIDI item.

Does the MIDI device show up? - if yes great! you are done with this part.

If not you MIGHT need to install a driver for that Emu cable, which SHOULD have come with cable but there are other places to get that driver like

http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?catID=237&CatName=E-MU+/+Creative+Professional&prodID=19089&prodName=Xmidi+1x1+Tab

3. Once you know that the OS sees the MIDI Input/output (I/O) device. Then we need check to see if ANY MIDI data is flowing to your laptop from the Korg M50 - at this step we don’t care which MIDI channel(s) or what sounds are set on KORG OR BIAB. The easiest way is with a simple MIDI monitor but since you have BIAB already installed let's try a built in BIAB utility FIRST.

a. Make sure cable is connected to USB port on laptop (and that BIAB is NOT running) .

b. As others explained - connect the Korg MIDI OUT to the EMU cables "MIDI in;" then the Korg's MIDI IN is connect to the cables MIDI out. Now urn Korg on.

c. Start BIAB, don’t worry about songs, or styles or parts or tracks simply look at top of screen about the middle there is a picture of a MIDI cable connection/plug and a label says "MIDI" (the MIDI icon is right under word "Audio" and almost exactly in the center of the screen on top).

1) Click on it and select the "MIDI/Audio driver setup." Over in the window that just popped-up you'll see, on the left, a section called " MIDI Input Driver." Select as the MIDI input WHATEVER your MIDI device was called above when you looked to see if Windows OS saw it. Click OK and close that window - don't worry about selecting a MIDI output or any synths (yet!)

2) next click on the MIDI Icon again and this time select "MIDI Monitor." A new window pops up and now we'll see if data is getting into PC and on what Channel(s) ("what channel" is an untrue statement but don't worry about that right now)

--- Now hit a few keys on your Korg you SHOULD see information in that new window - if you DO NOT SEE data scrolling in that monitor window - while you hit keys on Korg then:

a). the KORG is not set properly to send MIDI data, or

b). your USB-MIDI cable doesn’t work properly and may need to have a driver installed, or
c). you need a new/different MIDI I/O cable or dedicated MIDI I/O unit

--- IF YOU DO HAVE DATA in that MIDI window - GREAT! and the Channel number listed in the "Chan" column is probably "$05" if everything is set to default. (the $ is there because it is hexadecimal number)

From here on we CAN help you set up BIAB to do what you want.

Good Luck
Larry