It appears that Sforzando is a VSTi and RealBand requires a DXi.
DXi sound engines such as Coyote WT are registered with Windows during installation. Registration is how RealBand knows the utility exists and the location.
Sforzando does not register with Windows during installation so RealBand does not recognize the program.
Using RealBand 2019 build 3, I set an empty track to midi, clicked the track fx, selected the add VSTi option, navigated to Program Files\Plogue\sforzando\VST and selected the "sforzando VST_x86.dll" file and it loaded fine. You have to select the x86 file because RealBand remains a 32 bit program at this time.
haen't tried it but does that mean that BIAB uses sforzando automatically when you select the appropriate midi patch but when you open a BIAB file in RB it doesn't work?
just tried it and can't get a midi supertrack to play. i can see it has information but no sound is produced. i get a messgae like 'ok to add ?????????.tgs but press ok and nothign happens
i have added the sforzando ok but it shows the instrument as empty
tried all sorts of combinations but the only thing i haven't tried is deselecting 'route all midi to default dxi' which is the hypercanvas
did that and the supertrack played - but the edirol showed up as the default player. loaded the sforzando and its silent again.
how do i get most midi tracks to play with the edirol then supertracks as they are supposed to with the high q patches?
What version of RealBand are you using? You can verify by looking at the bottom of the splash screen while the program opens or selecting Help > About. The latest is RealBand 2019, build 3
A TGS file error means the program is searching for 1K Multimedia files for Amplitude or SampleTank2. PG Music provided a copy of SampleTank 2 back when SampleTank was 32 bit and had a free player available for download. When SampleTank 3 was introduced the player was 64 bit and no longer compatible with PG Music products so PG Music switched to the 32 bit version of Sforzando. Sforzando uses SFZ and SF2 soundfonts.
Does the yellow message in the image below look about the same as the message you saw?
I'm using the very latest version of RB. the message was I think green and said ok to load something or other patch etc tgs which looked like RB was doing the right thing
midi info appeared but it was silent
in the past I've found that its usually me doing something simple wrongly
by the way all other tracks were real tracks and could it be that i'd converted all tracks to ordinary tracks as opposed to BIAB? the midi info was there just couldn't play with the high q patch.
do I need to load the sforzando in a different way? I can get it loaded - as per the screen shot - but instead of the midi supertrack being loaded the instrument box says no instrument
I have build 3, RB 2019 and when I loaded a style with a MIDI Supertrack in it, the song's generation defaulted to my default VSTi/DXi (in this case Coyote WT).
What I did was then
1. right-click on the MIDI Supertrack
2. click on the "Open VSTi/DXi Synth Panel Configuration" (upper image)
3. next I loaded Sforzando in the top slot (#1 on lower image)
4. followed the #2, 3, 4, 5 to load a PG Music Hi-Q sound
thanks Noel - my issue is adding a Midi supertrack to an existing RB project.
all the other tracks are realtracks and i have been adding realtracks with no problem and hoped i coudl do the same with midi supertracks.
i know if I want to add a normal midi track in RB I have to change the style to one I want that has a midi part. the problem i have is that i need to know which midi style to change the style to - i can't audition midi tracks like realtracks (maybe that's too much to ask!)
with the option to add a midi supertrack i get to see all the midi supertracks i could use but they remain silent once generated.
ideally i'd like to see the supertracks available, click generate and hear them play when i return to the tracks window - but whilst the information is visible no sound is produced. i got the track to play using the edirol but that defeats the object of having high q sounds - unless i can choose the right instrument in sforzando? that would mean memorising the patch the supertrack claims to use. the tgs message seemed to suggest everything was working ok but i just couldn't get the track to make a sound with sforzando loaded but i will try your suggestion as above and see if i can select an instrument in sforzando
Under "Options | Preferences | 6-MIDI | MIDI Devices", do you have the option "Reroute MIDI playback through default VSTi/DXi" selected? In addition, do you have a default VSTi/DXi selected?
yes i do - see the post above but if i uncheck it what do the rest of the midi tracks that i like do for a soft synth - do i have to assign the edirol to each track and the sforzando to the track i want the high q patch on?
You do midi two ways in BIAB. 1.Assign one synth for all midi tracks. This is the DEFAULT. 2. Assign individual midi synths to each track by unchecking the DEFAULT syth.
RealBand does not need a midi style to sample a midi instrument. The program can use whatever style that is already loaded. However, the program does need a chord chart that can be used as a guide to generate tracks.
As a side note, when a Band-in-a-Box song or melody file is opened in RealBand, RealBand normally reserves the first eight tracks for Band-in-a-Box midi tracks and loads RealTracks starting with track nine. See first screen shot.
This default behavior can be changed by right clicking on any track icon to open a sub menu. Select "Track" then "Make all BB tracks regular tracks" and all tracks become audio tracks. The sub menu also has a selection to "Make first 8 tracks BB tracks" if you want the first eight tracks to revert to Band-in-a-Box midi tracks. See second screen shot.
Right click on any unused track icon to bring up the sub menu. Select "Track Type: Audio Stereo" and change the selection to "MIDI". The unused track will change to a midi track. See third screen shot.
Once a track is set for MIDI right click on the track icon to open the sub menu. The sub menu now has many midi related options and settings, including loading a Hi-Q Instrument. See fourth screen shot.
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean