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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 457
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 457 |
I've been putting up with this for some time now, but it's really getting to be kind of annoying, so I thought I'd toss the problem out to the Forummind and see if there is a solution to this mess before I take it up with the folks at PG.
I've been playing around with the Melodist a lot lately and this is where I usually see this happening. So let's say I generate a tune and the Melodist has selected, say, nylon string guitar for the melody instrument. A MIDI instrument. But when the song begins to play, even though the mixer shows the nylon string guitar as being the melody instrument, the instrument actually making the sounds is some strange synth. When I go to manually correct things, that is, I go to select "nylon string guitar" from the list of instruments, most of the time it will correct to the right instrument. But only for that one set of bars. Once the song times out and restarts, it's back to the incorrect instrument again, and I have to go and manually select the instrument I want.
I probably should mention that I'm using a nylon string guitar as an example. This happens with almost all instruments that are selected for the melody track. And it doesn't matter if I'm working on a song that is saved or unsaved (new and not written to disk yet).
There are some occasions when it won't let me change instruments and I'm stuck with the instrument BiaB has decided to substitute for the one that's been selected. And we're talking MIDI here -- with the yellow text in the mixer windows. Most often when this happens, the tune is stuck on acoustic piano, and no matter what I've tried so far, I can't get it to let go of acoustic piano.
I learned about BiaB's "Save Special" 'feature' and so now whenever I want to save a tune, I automatically save special. But this doesn't always work. Typically, the file will revert to electric piano as the melody instrument when I've selected a different one and "saved special." Unless it's stuck on acoustic piano, in which case it remains stuck, even after I try to "Save Special" with the correct instrument.
The way I see it, these are BUGS. They aren't features. And I question why "Save Special" is even necessary since I want every selection and change I've made to be saved when I save a song. But they aren't unless I "Save Special." Annoying. And even then, they aren't always saved. Very annoying. And frustrating.
Now, I do need to mention that sometimes BiaB will load the correct instrument and everything is sweetness and light -- but this is the exception rather than the rule.
So, before I take this up with PG, is there some 'splainin' you can do to help me understand why BiaB is being so idiosyncratic with regards to things that I consider to be fundamental and simple?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,840
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,840 |
You didn't say which synth you are using, Michael.
Also, look carefully at your settings in the melodist screen, as there are several selections related to changing instruments.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,495
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,495 |
I agree with John. This sounds like settings in the Melodist.
Also, can you briefly outline your system... synth (software or hardware), soundcard, etc.
Lastly, was any external midi file partly involved in the song you're creating?
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 457
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 457 |
Right now, I'm just using the MS Wavetable synth. I'm still looking for a good, cheap or free MIDI synth or two. I have a decent hardware synth -- a Roland JV1010, but I still haven't gotten all our boxes unpacked from our move yet, and the JV1010 is in one of the boxes -- along with most of the rest of my DAW gear -- and I have no idea which one it is. So anyway, I'm going the software route for now. My soundcard is my trusty old M-Audio Delta 66 with the Omni I/O box. That's all the hardware I'm using at the moment. No external MIDI files are around. Just the one I'm working on at the moment, which the Melodist just generated. Yeah, I know about the settings in the Melodist. I've been playing around with it a lot lately. I know there's a panel where you can specify an instrument -- or you can let the Melodist do it for you based on the "style" selected. Let's take right now as an example. Just a minute ago, I set up the Melodist for it to just go for it. I had things set so the Melodist was toggled to do everything, but the melody instrument was selected as Tenor Sax because of the "style" that I selected. The "Change Instrument" selection is set to "none." In this case, the "style" is "208 *JoeH Ev 8th Jazz Tenor Sax" But the actual melody being played right now sounds like one of the pads -- warm or halo maybe. Sure as heck isn't Tenor Sax. Harmony is "0 < no harmony >". This happens all the time. As I wrote above, when it behaves as it should is the exception to the rule. I've gotten used to it, so it doesn't really bother me that badly anymore, except when it refuses to let me change instruments. I don't like that one bit. Fortunately it isn't usually something off the wall like a shamisen or something. It's almost always selection #1, acoustic piano. Still, I would like to get to the bottom of this. I like being the one in control. 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 457
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 457 |
Thanks for the link. I'm downloading the file right now. I have an old Yamaha XG card and I like a lot of the sounds on that card. I don't use it much, however, because it has a fairly noisy "floor." That is, when any MIDI sound is activated from that card, a fair amount of line hiss comes along with the sound selected.
But having these sounds with a software synth sounds like the way to go. I look forward to using them.
Thanks!
Update: I've transferred the files to my VST directory. The "About" file says this:
Note: This VST has no GUIs so you'll need to operate the patch controls via virtual MIDI ports within your DAW.
Does this mean that there will be no Yamaha interface? Like you typically see with other software synths? I'm not sure what's meant by "virtual MIDI ports." Can you explain? I currently have three DAWs I use: Cakewalk Sonar, PreSonus Studio One 3, and of course, BiaB's Real Band.
Last edited by cooltouch; 11/10/17 06:17 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 1,114
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 1,114 |
HI Cooltouch It just means there are no pretty screens when you run/ load, the VST . So you have to select your patches from the BIAB mixer or similar as you do with many of the others. I did post a link to a dedicated PAT file that I created for this XG lite VST if you scroll down to page 2 of the page that you got my link from, you will find it there. This will enable you to select the higher bank voices as well as the basic 128 from the mixer in BIAB. Have fun  Mike
BIAB2021 UltraPlus,AsusN55S1Tbssd, W10/64,Akai EIEpro Yamaha CVP405,SquireStrat, CoolsoftVMidSynth Novatation Impulse61 Ctr kbd, Cwalk blab Kontakt http://mikesmusic.byethost16.com/
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 457
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 457 |
Thanks Mike. I've found it and installed it and it appears to be working correctly. It's nice having XG sounds back again.
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