The basic answer to your TX81 question is yes it will work with BIAB and RB. I use several "hard" synths with my PG products: I use a Yamaha Motif XS, a Yamaha DX7II, a Yamaha TX802, a Roland Fantom XR, and an Oberheim Matrix 1000. In fact, using a midi patch bay, I can use several of these at the same time in the same song. So yes, the 81Z will work.

A couple of things to note:

1. The 81Z is not GM compliant but that's not a problem as you'll be plugging in the patches you want initially anyhow.

2. Here's a biggie: You will need a patch map for the 81Z with all of the sounds detailed. You can get these either here on the PG site, on the official Yamaha site, on the Cakewalk site or many other places.

3. Next biggie and addresses your "save" question: In BIAB, click on the FILE header in the upper right hand corner, scroll down to SAVE SPECIAL. Go to SAVE SONG WITH PATCHES AND HARMONIES, click on SAVE ALL SETTINGS WITH SONGS. Then click save at the bottom to exit.

4. Then after you've put your song together and selected patches in BIAB, save the song clicking on the SAVE AS icon not the SAVE icon. This will save the assigned patches. After saving this way, you can click on the regular SAVE icon for all future changes to that song. Just remember to use SAVE AS for the first time a song is saved.

Keep in mind, the external synths or VSTi's for that matter are for midi data. As long as the track has midi data in it you should be go to go. However, if the track has audio data you won't be able to use the 81Z unless you delete the audio and plug in or play in some midi data.

Start out simple, you can use the 81Z on any track that is colored yellow or grayed, the green tracks are audio RealTracks.

Jeff

Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2025, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3