PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production - - Cakewalk TTS-1 General MIDI DXi Software Synth Tip - -

Some forum members use Cakewalk's TTS-1 32 bit soft synth as their default MIDI sound source in Band-in-a-Box.

Did you know: Ucheck all midi outputs in preferences and TTS-1 will automatically load up when you OPEN any midi file. Makes it super easy to preview midi song files.

I found this little nugget in a Cakewalk forum post.

Hey Jim, you ought to re-post in tips and tricks

Larry

I'm old and slow, so can you explain "uncheck all midi outputs in preferences"?
Your image shows the only 2 check boxes available as checked .. and I think they need to be.

Larry,

That was my original plan but I decided that was the wrong place to post based on the directions for that section of the forum:

Rharv,

I should have mentioned I believe the unchecked midi outputs are in the TTS-1 preferences. I posted the screenshot to show how Band-in-a-Box users would assign the TTS-1 as the program's soft synth. This hint lets TTS-1 play midi files outside Band-in-a-Box.

Yes its a great Synth for sounds the TTS1 I also use it, but one thing I have found if you use this I am having problems 'saving' Banjo sounds that have been input into a song and then upon saving to 'Real Band' I am losing the main backing Banjo and Mandolin tracks? Any idea why this is happening?
Could it be upon saving B in a Box does not recognise TTS1 upon saving?
Burton Trent

Burton Trent,

I have TTS-1 set as the default soft synth for both Band-in-a-Box and RealBand. I also have it set up to respond to general midi 2 instrument patches. General midi (GM) has 127 designated instrument patches while general midi 2 (GM2) has 256.

The TTS-1 soft synth loads when I first open either program. However instrument patches do not load until I open and load a song file that calls for a patch. The song file must include a midi track that calls for a general midi or general midi 2 instrument patch.

You can access Band-in-a-Box 2017 settings by clicking on "Options" then "midi/audio setup ...".

For the picture below I've circled my midi settings in red. The help button opens a help window that describes this window in more detail.

Jim,

I have TTS-1 in Sonar but when I went to Band in a Box and selected the drop down to choose new synth (new DXI, VXI, VXIXZZA or whatever it is called) it is not listed as an option. I see my Aria, Szofrandorazodomo (sp???) and other stuff, but not that.

Do I have to go into Cakewalk files to grab it?

Kinda confused man.

Hi David,

Are you sure that BiaB is looking in the right folder for TTS-1? If not you may want to either have copy the TTS-2 to the right folder or tell BiaB where the TTS-1's folder is located.

Note I know this is true for VSTis but I am not sure it is the same with DXis.

DXis are DOA now so I would like to see PGMusic drop that format and go to all VSTis. I would like them to convert their DXis and their excellent DXes to VSTis and VSTs. YMMV

Hey Mario,

Ah, where would that folder be?

I assumed from Jim's explanation it was part of Band in a Box so would come up with other built in choices..like Coyote...is that not the case?

Jim says:

"Some forum members use Cakewalk's TTS-1 32 bit soft synth as their default MIDI sound source in Band-in-a-Box."

The only TTS I can find is in Cakewalk folder and it is 64 bit, and even though I have a J bridge installed it won't recognize J Bridge and I can't use it.

Ideas???

Where is 32 bit folder????

Maybe it is on hard drive, will check there.....

David, the 32 bit TTS-1 is in the 32 bit Sonar package. Start the 32 bit Sonar install, click on manual install and uncheck everything but TTS-1. (I'm going my memory here and you know how my memory is) I have it but I did not install it as I do not use it in BiaB. I only use the 64 bit version.

Also jBridge only works for VSTis. It does not work for DXis and that is why your 64 bit version will not work in BiaB.

I hope this helps.

Thanks! I can't really do that right now since I waived the new update (don't need it right now) but I appreciate the answer. Guess I will just stick with Aria for the time being. Not that much of a big deal.

David,

I could be wrong but it sounds like you might be trying to install TTS-1 using the "Add VSTi Plugin".

As the image below shows, TTS-1 is a DXi (#1 on image) not a VSTi. This means that the "Add VSTi Plugin" will not work. To add TTS-1, it's necessary to use the 'Options' (#2 on image).

With the above in mind, have a read of this post of mine in a recent thread...

www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=433501#Post433742

... where I refer to 'Coyote WT', think 'TTS-1' and what I've written should apply.

Hope this helps,
Noel

David,

It's been so long since I set up Band-in-a-Box from scratch I had to reacquaint myself to the process.

TTS-1 is Direct X (DXI) so you will need to visit the VSTi/DXi settings and manually add the synth by browsing to it.

DX uses the Windows registry so you can't just copy the files. Windows knows from the registry settings where the program is at so you just have to let BiaB and RB know.

David,

I apologize. As Mario stated, the 64 bit TTS-1 will not work in Band-in-a-Box, I have the 32 bit variety.

Ok man, thanks.

Thanks Noel.

David,

Have a read of the below post by Larry Kehl. He's got an amazing understanding of this stuff. I'd love to have 1/100th of his knowledge!

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=282967

This will solve your problem if you want to follow through with having TTS-1 up and running.

Regards,
Noel

Now, that makes it solid.

I will stick with TTS-1 in Sonar and keep using Aria player in BIAB.

Wow!!



Maybe for the future a 32 bits version of TTS-1 could just come with BIAB?

First to Noel - thanks for vote of confidence but my solution is an inelegant, brute force solution: no real expertise required (or actually present).

David

The process actually only takes a few minutes and you only have to do it ONCE. It only looks complicated and scary but is easy-peasy to do to get fast access to both 32 bit or 64 bit TTS-1. I could have done it for you in the time it takes to write this paragraph plus about 60 seconds (assuming you have a fairly fast CPU and drive)!!

1. Run the latest Sonar installer to re-install the basic Sonar 32-bit only reason you are doing this is to get the 32-bit TTS-1 DXi properly registered in the Windows Registry and to get access to the 32-bit “TTS-1.dll.”

There is no need to reinstall any of the ancillary stuff like docs installer, core plugins installer or any of the instrument pack installers.

BTW I would NOT use the Cakewalk Command Center for this I would go to the Cakewalk site, My Account, -> My Products and DOWNLOAD the Sonar program installer separately !

2. After “installing” Sonar (32 bit sonar) go find the Shared DXi folder. In my case it’s located…

"D:\Music\Cakewalk\Shared Dxi\TTS-1"

Once found make a COPY of the “TTS-1.dll” and rename it to something like "TTS-1-this one is 32bit.dll"

3. Now rerun the Sonar installer and install 64-bit Sonar again (it will re-install the 64 bit TTS-1)

4. Finally once again find the Shared DXi folder and make a COPY of the “TTS-1.dll” (which is now the 64-bit one version) and rename that COPY to something like "TTS-1-this one is 64 bit.dll"

DONE:

From now on it's just a few seconds to switch back and forth: I even have a short cut folder on desktop to the ...\Shared DXi\TTS-1 folder.

When you want the 32 bit TTS-1: for BIAB (or any 32-bit host) just delete the existing “TTS-1.dll” then COPY the one you named as 32-bit to “TTS-1.dll” (the 32-bit one will be reported by Window Explorer as 5,887 KB).

To get back to a 64-bit TTS-1: for Sonar (or other 64 bit hosts that still use DXi’s) simply repeat the process but using the .dll you named 64 bit (the 64-bit one will be reported by Window Explorer as 5,973 KB).

For safety (yes you might mess up) and so you never have to REPEAT steps 1-4 (to recover either the 32 bit or 64 bit DXi .dll - I’d keep safety copies in new separate folders like in pic

Remember every time you update Sonar it will re-set the TTS-1.dll to whatever version you are updating Sonar (I assume it will always be the 64 bit one) . BUT YOU do NOT have to repeat steps 1-4 . Once you have those DXi’s registered in the system Registry and have a COPY of each separate .dll (a 32-bit one and a 64 bit one) all you are doing is copying over the current “TTS-1.DLL” with whichever version of TTS-1 you want.

ONLY possible issue is that you can’t use TTS-1 (32 bit) in BIAB and concurrently use it in 64 bit SONAR since 64 bit Sonar whines about not seeing TTS-1 (since it’ the 32 bit version) and insists it is not installed (properly). Actually SONAR should have/could have accommodated 32-bit DXi’s just like it does 32-bit VSTi’s, especially since sonar is one of the FEW HOSTS that still use ANY DXi’s



Larry