I'm new to BIAB, so this is probably user error, but I can't seem to get Sampletank 3 to work with BIAB 2015 using the copy of jBridge I bought just for this purpose.
I can load ST3 fine, and it shows jBridge info at the bottom of the BIAB plugin dialog. I can load an ST3 instrument, but clicking the ST3 keyboard does not playback any sound like it usually does. If I close the VST plugin dialog, ST3 shows up in the track list OK, but when I start BIAB playing, the ST3 track is silent, although the mixer VU meter is bouncing around as if it is getting audio. If I solo the ST3 track, it is silent, although once I did hear a few low volume clicks and pops.
I've tested ST3 with FL Studio, Sonar X3 and MixCraft 6 (using jBridge), and all of them seem to work fine. I've also watched the PG Music YouTube video on using jBridge with 64-bit plugins, and as far as I can tell, I followed the procedure described.
It's probably something simple, but being new to BIAB, it's not obvious to me what is going wrong. Anyone have and ideas?
The below concerns using the plug-ins keyboard to "sound" the instrument: it does not address why you get NO sound, my apologies. Clearly we'll have to trouble shoot that one a little more but before we do can I suggest you do a
"Return to Factory settings" under menu item Opt.
End EDIT
What you are experiencing is not abnormal with respect to BIAB (RealBand or PowerTracks) when using any plug-in. Irrespective of JBridge use or not or the plug-in itself (e.g., ST2, ST3, Kontakt 5) .
And just as FYI: make sure you are using JBridge V1.73b not the v1.65
But this is not a JBridge issue either actually not really an "issue" at all. I guess it can be inconvenient if you'd like to hear this or that string bass (or organ or piano or horn or...) before starting the song but it is just the way PG applications communicate with DXi's/VSTi's when not "running." (i.e., playign a song or recording)
The keyboards at bottom of the PLUG-IN window(s) (e.g., the ones in Kontakt 5, ST2, ST3, Cakewalk Sound Center, etc.) DO work when BIAB (and RB/PT ) is actively playing a song or you hit "record" and are recording - but as you've noticed these keyboards do nothing unless BIAB is "running."
As you mentioned, other applications (Sonar, Mixcraft, Reaper, etc. and again this is irrespective of w/wo JBridge) the plug-ins' mini-keyboard(s) do "sound" when application is not "running."
For lack of actual technical explanation: those other DAW's/applications apparently keep the "comms" (MIDI communications: host to VSTi) open and active entire time the DAW itself is active: PG applications apparently do not.
Larry
Last edited by Larry Kehl; 01/11/1511:09 AM.
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dmorrill did you check to see what midi channel that ST3 is using. Watch for a quick bleep when starting and stopping BIAB in the interface of ST3 Then assign the patch (sound) to that channel or change the first to whatever channel the song uses. There may be a way to see what midi channel it is tran... on but I usually find the playing of a song reveals it for just a moment.
Larry, I will definitely file the VST keyboard being non-operational in BiaB under "good to know" since it will probably save me a lot of hair pulling. Thanks!
Eureka! Thanks Digital Angel...that was it! I knew it was some kind of newbie problem.
When I loaded ST3, I left the "Force MIDI channel = None" option alone, since it was the default and I didn't want to mess with too many options right away.
But after reading your note, I went back and set it to "Force MIDI channel = 1" and made sure that I loaded my ST3 instrument in part 1...and that fixed it. Duh! After that I was able to assign ST3 to each track in the song and have it play back properly.
I notice that each track I assign ST3 to loads its own copy of ST3. Is it possible to load a single copy, assign each ST3 instrument to a different part, and then assign each BiaB track to the associated ST3 part?
To answer your last question yes you can. Unless you want to assign a different synthesizer to each part or a couple of parts don't do it the way you're doing it now.
Assigned SampleTank 3 as the "Default synth" at the bottom of that same list where you are putting SampleTank 3 for the piano and another copy for the guitar etc. (I'm away from PC so I forget what its called)
Then in that one copy of SampleTank 3 assign each channel its own instrument corresponding to Band in the Box's instrument assigned channels - the defaults are bass ch 2, piano ch 3 , guitar ch 6, ... look in menu under preferences "channels" for the defaults
EDIT UPDATE
full BIAB default channels
Bass 2, Piano 3, Drums 10, Guitar 6, Strings 7, Melody 4, Soloist 8 Thru 5 4 Harmony parts on chs 11 - 14
Below is pic with ST3 set in the Default Synth slot - set up for all instruments (except thru channel as an instrument - which you can, and 4 harmonies) and with that set up I could then go to drums above and set XLN's Addictive Drums VSTi and that will then override the Default Synth's setting fro ch 10 drums, in this case ST3 drums.
You do not need to change or do any "force channel" to anything unless you want to re-route what you have as defaults
Last edited by Larry Kehl; 01/12/1505:24 AM.
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OH thank you very much Larry for this quote "look in menu under preferences "channels" for the defaults." I always used ST2 with a high screen res and could never see the interlace on the left so I would go by site.
Looks like ST3 has the channel number more visible and even stays on.
The OPT menu is a jungle and not for the faint of heart, only long time users of BIAB can come out of it still alive.
By the way if I'm not out of the opt menu in 2 weeks please send a search party for me:)
I think a "guitar player" that dabbles in the keyboard realm should have the best of both worlds, so lets get going. I plan on coming to your first concert after you make some changes to your Guitar like this.
Awesome! Thank you so much Larry for taking the time to explain all that to me. This is exactly what I wanted to do! I re-did my previous setup to work you like described, and it all worked perfectly.
I guess my original instinct to not turn on the 'Force MIDI' option was good, but I had the bad luck to assign an instrument to part 1, which BiaB doesn't normally use. Thanks again for setting me straight on the proper way to set things up in BiaB!
Useful thread this. Thanks Digital Angel and once again Larry for your contributions.
Until now I have continued to use ST2.5 HI-Q instruments waiting on a ST3 friendly BIAB patch. I also had visions of each track loading it's own copy of ST3 and using up my system resources. I'm also sure I read somewhere that some styles are hard coded to use ST2.5 BIAB instruments (but this may still be ok if I have imported them into ST3?).
Anyway, I will now definitely be trying ST3 in BIAB. Also Larry thanks for the heads up on getting Addictive Drums to work on BIAB too. Great stuff!
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