I don't have styles, real tracks, when I try to generate it tells me stuff is missing..... Do I need to copy stuff from the old BIAB or BB directories? I installed it new yet when I tried to do a real track with piano I had exactly 11 choices. Should I not have had like 150?
I am now going to have spend my Sunday removing all things PG and reinstalling it all. When I had 2009 and installed the next version, I did nothing but install. The same from 2011 to 2012, to 2013 and now to 2016 and suddenly things are totally screwed up. I have directories everywhere. Why doesn't the new version replace the old one? I also do not have Real Band 2016 in registry, so I can't associate .seq files to Real Band. It used to be that way, but now it defaults to Samplitude, so I have to launch Real Band and then load the files.
I know, that sounds like nothing, but as I have said many times, that's not the point. It's supposed to just work without any tap dancing. What did I do wrong here? I ran the Real Band 2016 install and the accompanying real tracks compressed files which expanded to what I think is not anywhere close to the number of tracks I should have.
Also, why is the default the root of C rather than C:\Program Files like all other software?
I have this awful feeling that I am going to end up reformatting and reloading an OS onto this hard drive just to get Real Band to work correctly.
The recommendation that BiaB and RealBand are placed in the root directory has been around for many, many years.
Microsoft made recommendations to no longer use "Program Files" or "Program Files (x86)" around the time of Windows 7. This was mainly related to security and access issues to the new protection systems in Windows 7 onwards.
The recommendation is definitely to use the root of the selected drive. Has been for a long time.
I may be wrong, but I don't think that RealBand has a single association with .SEQ files, the way BiaB does for SGU, MGU etc. The list, which may contain one of more associations, is defined in the registry in: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.seq\OpenWithList
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.
I always use acronis to make an image of my OS, usually a doddle to restore.
I have Macrium reflect free on another computer (has tried EASEus backup but free version is so slow) Macrium seems very good.
I have 2 backups of the biab on two separate PG drives come to think of it, I must update them to 2016 version.
I thought that as someone who is a techie Eddie you would least have a backup of the OS.
Before the tedious job of a format,
1 just run the 16 install again over the top of what you have or even the latet update.
2 There are a few files in RB to restore to factory settings,
as someone esplained on me on forum (either Noel or Rharv I believe)
"To try to fix it, rename RB.CFG and Realband.ini This will cause them to rebuild and start over. However it also causes RB to reset to factory settings"
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
There are a few files in RB to restore to factory settings.
Factory settings changes personal prefs, not pointers to file location.
Can somebody tell me if I have to copy the old folders from RB 20xx to rb2016 where I installed? Because the old folder has a ton of stuff that is not in the new folder.
The part that has me concerned most is that it didn't register. That's why Real Band is not a program option for me to set the "open with" to Real Band.
Also note that the Real Band (rb2016) folder is 6.7gb. The BIAB (bb2016) is 47.2gb. The styles are in bb and not rb. Do I need to copy them?
Sorry for the white padding but MS Paint on XP kind of stinks. And I am not going to wipe my drive out and put 7 on unless I really have to. This PC has run well with XP for years. Until this software snafu....
Idea; Rename the bb2016 folder to bb Reset the paths.
The above suggestion is the default .. you appear to have installed to a custom folder. You said you installed over the previous, yet your root BB folder is labeled bb2016. I doubt the previous version was installed to a folder called bb2016. Something is off.
Or point it to your old bb folder for the RealTracks and see if the list grows.
Last edited by rharv; 02/14/1608:19 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Looks like there is a Tickets_Activated folder in the wrong BiaB folder now .. Or have you not activated, and this is from the 30 day limit being hit?
Under Help - Activate
Actually, your screen shot shows you are launching a beta version, build 2. Try updating to the current version, or correcting the shortcut being used.
Last edited by rharv; 02/14/1609:33 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Actually, your screen shot shows you are launching a beta version, build 2. Try updating to the current version, or correcting the shortcut being used.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Deeper and deeper we go. I loaded a song from 3 years ago and it can't find the style. How can that even be? I would never erase ONE specific style out of a list of many. It's just really so weird. I tried to generate a piano and had 15 options. I should have hundreds. Same for guitar. Not one strummed rhythm guitar. I have no idea where to move files from or where to move them to. Just in the weeds here. I don't want to risk erasing anything or I would just remove everything called rb or biab and start fresh, because I have my doubts as to my version of 2016 being complete or I wouldn't be having these problems. Now I have to wait for PG to contact me and do a remote access to look at my drive to see what the heck is going on.
Do I HAVE to have it in a folder called BB? It says "BB for example"? I should be able to call the folder donkey, chair, or horsehockey if I choose to. Why BB?
And I reinstalled and have 2016 (3) now. Still, everything is scattered over 3 different folders and I don't know what I should copy, what to call folders, if copying old will overwrite new with older versions and crap out when I need them, etc..... There are all these files with an _ as the first character, which in my world was always a file that was what amounts to a temp file that installs and writes itself without that underscore. And a bunch with a tilde at the front. Same situation. I never saw valid files with a tilde as the first character.
I expected that installing software, and any software, not just this, would go out and find the old files from previous installs and copy them to the new folder so it was ready to run when that installation finished. Apparently that is not the case here. Styles are still in old folders and I have to copy them, as my test case using a 3 year old seq showed me. I had to go to an old folder and move the style by hand to get that song to load without incident.
I think I need PG involved here. I am at a point with so many redundancies and repetitions that if I start moving or deleting I can do more harm than good and HAVE to start from square zero again, maybe screwing up some of my songs in the process.
This is why you should install it over top of an existing version.
If the previous install was in C:\donkey and you install the new version in C:\bb2016, the old (previously owned) realtracks are still in C:\donkey, but the program is looking at C:\bb2016 to find your realtracks. It'll probably find the new ones but not the old.
Upgrades are accumulative with BB/RB, so you need to install it over the old in order to keep things working in the new version like it did before. I have many things in my accumulated installs that are not included (or even available) in the recent install files.
If you installed it to a different directory, it'll likely not be able to locate the RT's as easily, and if it did find the old ones it'll likely be missing the new ones. Like I said, its accumulative.
You said "There are all these files with an _ as the first character, which in my world was always a file that was what amounts to a temp file that installs and writes itself without that underscore. And a bunch with a tilde at the front. Same situation. I never saw valid files with a tilde as the first character."
The underscore and tilde characters mean something to BB, so don't discard these just because of the naming convention.. BB file naming conventions may mean it is an 'all realtracks' style (or something else). Point is they have a purpose.
The image below shows how RB keeps backups of important files from previous versions, as long as you install over existing. Notice RBBackup folders for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 .. (yeah I already have 2017 and am busy warming up leftovers from tomorrow night)
Last edited by rharv; 02/14/1605:05 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Also note that the Real Band (rb2016) folder is 6.7gb. The BIAB (bb2016) is 47.2gb. The styles are in bb and not rb. Do I need to copy them?
Realband finds and uses Styles and other files from the BB folder. They are essentially shared with RB. You should not need to copy them.
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.
This is why you should install it over top of an existing version.
What do people do that are installing it new for the first time? Should my 2016 not have given me every file needed? I have the Plus Pak as well. Seems like it should write every file to wherever I tell it to. There is no disclaimer that says "You must have last year's version to install this year's version." Very confusing.
Like you said, if I install it into c:\donkey, the installer should at the very minimum reach out into the hard drive and find old files and move them rather than setup pointers to c:\bb which may or may note exist.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
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Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
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