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I KNOW I should know, but I can't remember the fix for this.
When I use the Chord Builder icon to "test" out a chord it is Silent.
If I accept the chord anyway into my SGU, it plays fine but thats not the point - how do I get Chord Builder to make some noise please!
Ian
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Hi Ian, I know of two locations where BIAB allows a user to hear the sound of a chord (there could be more). These are (a) the "Play" button in Chord Builder and (b) "Play Current Chord" from the 'right-click on chordsheet' menu. Both these choices use the Bass and Piano track (using the static names) for the chord voices. These tracks are the top two in the mixer and may be called something different if you have variable track names active. (The image below shows the tracks using the static names. This identifies the tracks I mean.)  With the above in mind, make sure that the Bass and Piano tracks have the volume turned up and are not muted. Hopefully this will help, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Hi Noel
BOTH of these options are Silent!
I have used the "Play" on Chord Builder before and it has worked. And now it doesnt!
I didnt know about the alternative, thank you Noel, but it also is silent.
Baffled!
Ian
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Ian,
Are you Bass and Piano tracks active? That is, are they not coloured grey and are the volumes turned up?
To test this, try loading the demo for a different style and see what happens. If the option still does not work, it would be worth trying "Return to factory settings" under the Opt menu (Use the upper of the two options as it won't affect your sound driver settings).
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Hi Noel
Bass and Piano tracks active for either midi styles or RT styles and volumes at 90. In neither case is there any sound.
I returned to factory settings, excluding drivers and still the same.
Regards
ian
Last edited by sixchannel; 03/14/16 12:01 AM.
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Ian,
Sometimes songs get saved with something that corrupts the normal set up. It's rare, but I've had this happen.
To double-check whether or not this is the case, can you try the following...
1. Select "New" from the file menu to create a new, blank chord sheet. (This will also load all default values associated with the chord sheet.)
2. Select any style from within stylemaker.
Do either of the chord previews work now?
Another thought...
Are the Bass and Piano tracks muted with bar settings anywhere in the song?
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Look at your midi options as they may have changed. BiaB and RB can use audio, a midi soft synth or hardware driven synth. When you're playing a file you're hearing audio or (typically) a soft synth. When you're using Play A Chord or Chordbuilder you're using the hardware driven synth.
In midi options there is a checkbox for use DXi soft synth. In your case it is checked but there is nothing selected to play if it is not checked. You need to take the unchecked setting to midi mapper or another operating system midi sound source.
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Hi Jim Thanks for the info. I'm not "aware" I changed anything but it has been a while since I tried Chord Builder. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to the computer tech of all this but these are the settings I have in midi options so that I can use my Forte fonts when using midi styles. I do not want to lose that capability. Please could you look and see if this is where the issue might lie? -  Regards Ian
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Last edited by Tobias; 03/14/16 05:05 PM.
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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Thanks for reminding me about that thread, Tobias. It had slipped my mind. This is what Jim Fogle was referring to in his above post.
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Ah-haaa, yes, just maybe yes this is the culprit. Ian, let us know eh?
Trev
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.
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Hi guys
Sadly none of the three options of Midi output driver (see pic above) makes any difference - still silence.
cheers
ian
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Hi, Ian,
Did you click on the link in Tobias's message? That thread explains that the chord builder won't work (at least not normally) IF you are using a DXi Synth. His message in that thread does go on to offer a workaround. Here is what he said:
Spoke with Joe at PG tech support. He informed me that the Chord Builder does not/ will not/ can not play through the DXi Synth. So, even though my song set up is playing through the DXi Synth properly here's how the get sound from the Chord Builder.
Chose a different "Midi Output Driver". But leave the VSTi/DXi setting so they are working with the song. Ignore the warning that you wont get sound output due to the "Use DXi..." being selected.
Both my Microsoft GS Wave Table Synth and my hardware synths (SD-20 or Juno) produce sound for the Chord Builder while the song plays through the DXi Synth with out the need to switch back and forth.
This works fine for the. The only downside is I don't hear the chord with the actual/exact tone as what my song will be playing. ex: Cotote Forte 90 Pad Warm Slow sound quite different from the Microsoft Wave Table Synth. Non-the-less I do get a close rendition of what the chord will sound like before I enter the chord into the song.
Hope that helps.
Jim
Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
BIAB 2018 build 519; Dell Inspiron N4110, Windows 10 64 bit, Intel Core i3-2350m running at 2.29 GHz, Memory: 6 GB DDR3, SDRAM 1MHz
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Oh but, I also remember that If I have an external Audio Interface [Focusrite 2i4] connected there is no way to get the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth to output sound through the audio side of the interface. Metronome and Chord Builder only generate sound through a hardware synth or the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth (which will only play through the computers built in sound card.) So, if all your audio (and DXi audio) is coming out the computers sound card then the method in that thread works. Otherwise, if your real tracks are playing through an outboard audio interface and your only midi synth is a DXi playing through the outboard audio interface also you will need a separate set of speakers or headphones connected to the sound card jack on your computer to hear the metronome or chord builder. It will give you an idea of what the chord will sound like but it won't be your DXi. It will be the sound of Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth. Aaargh! That is, unless your outboard audio driver is also a midi driver set up and connected to a hardware synth. Perhaps a wishlist item would be to allow metronome and chord builder to output through DXi Synth.
BTW, I can't find anything in the Help files that explains this limitation.
Last edited by Tobias; 03/16/16 05:43 PM.
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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Well, as you can see from my screen grab in earlier post, I have only three options in midi output driver. NONE of them make any difference.
Ian
PS - I have no external input or output devices.
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Sixchannel,
Man your computer just doesn't want you to make music, does it?
I'm out of suggestions but do have some thoughts/observations.
Let's look at the possible midi output driver choices one by one and see if we're all on the same page about what should happen. That way we know everyone is thinking the same.
None. There shouldn't be any sound output when a midi track is played. Normally no reason to select this choice.
Midi mapper. Midi commands go through this choice and can be changed depending how the mapper is programmed. Typically not the best choice unless you have multiple midi devices and need to divide tracks between devices. Not a good choice in this instance.
Creative synth. Your computer has a Creative Labs (Soundblaster) sound card installed inside the computer or plugged into a usb port. This hardware choice CAN supply midi sound patches but has not been selected.
GS wavetable. Midi sound patches embedded in your computer's operating system. Can provide midi sound patches when selected and is the highlighted selection.
external midi. Computer's usb or five pin midi out port. No sound unless a midi sound module is connected, turned on and amplified.
Forte DXi plug-in. When selected the software sound module BiaB should use to play midi tracks.
The chordbuilder doesn't use the Forte DXi, instead it uses the computer's default midi sound module which could be either the Creative synth or GS wavetable.
Now, the question in my mind, do you have any program like a game or media player that can play a midi file using either the Creative synth or GS wavetable as the sound module?
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Ian,
Did you try my suggestion a few posts back about creating a new blank file using the "New" option under the File menu?
This is worth trying as it will ascertain whether the problem is BIAB or simply some form of file corruption that has saved with a song file.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Ian,
Did you try my suggestion a few posts back about creating a new blank file using the "New" option under the File menu?
This is worth trying as it will ascertain whether the problem is BIAB or simply some form of file corruption that has saved with a song file.
Regards,
Noel Hi Noel Sorry, i should have said, but forgot!  All tests have been done by clicking New and using a midi style (just in case). Any midi files i play (very seldom) run through WMP. HTH cos I'm baffled. I guess in the scheme of things is not massive issue - i can always try a chord in situ and re-gen - but thats slow compared to "whats Am7b5 sound like here? Click." If it had NEVER worked i could understand that it was some kind of mess up with my settings. Ian PS - the Creative Audigy Soundblaster soundcard is NOT listed in the right hand column.
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Hi Ian
Is there an opportunity that you could call Support and get them to remotely log in to your computer (Teamviewer or similar) to diagnose and (hopefully) resolve. I hear they're pretty good.
Trev
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.
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Hi Ian
Is there an opportunity that you could call Support and get them to remotely log in to your computer (Teamviewer or similar) to diagnose and (hopefully) resolve. I hear they're pretty good.
Trev Hi Trev I'll certainly drop a line to Support first. We are 7 hrs ahead of them so will try and fix a time when we both have our eyes open.  Never tried remote access before. Hope it works with Win XP Pro. Ian
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