Cool chord, DMaj9#11. You can play on that all night!

OK, we're getting closer with more information.

A .WAV file is audio (so is an .MP3). An .SGU file is a song track of BIAB without a melody. It could be all MIDI, all RealTracks, or a combination. If it has a melody, that melody is saved as .MGU. That melody would be MIDI.

When you play a .MGU file, is the background playing still soft, while the melody is loud? If you don't have a melody, add one and test.

There are ways to balance MIDI and audio, assuming you have a combination and are running very early RealTracks and RealDrums. I just don't remember that far back to advise you what BIAB was like then. Something out of balance would explain why an .MGU and a .SGU would not be the same volume.

Given this info, perhaps it will guide you to know what kind of file gives the problem.

By the way, your external speakers probably have one or probably two external amps. If they didn't they would be no louder than the laptop's speakers.

BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.