For those of you following the sound font branch of this thread. I have just created a PAT file for BIAB for the Timbres of Heaven sound font for you. See my post in the main BIAB windows forum. Mike
No. I have to kill the application from the task manager.
Ok Berntd, it's time to get specific. I have two attachments at the bottom of this post Image 9 and 10. These are Screenshots I just took. Open Biab and go to the to the upper left and see the menu tab "Options". The first option is "Midi/Audio Drivers Setup". Click that and you see the window shown in Image 9. Make sure you've selected the Wavetable as your midi driver and you've checked the two boxes on the right "Use VST..." and "Route Midi...".
Right below that is where I have the "VSTsynthFont64" selected. Click that and you see my Image 10. In that window is where you select plugins starting with your synth at the top and you use the bottom 3 for effects. Here are my two screenshots:
To followup. This forum software is very weird when it comes to posting attachments. The Preview does not show them so you can't tell where they're going to show up and then you can't write anything below where the attachments are.
You'll see others who can post the actual image directly into the forum. You need a separate website to host the image in order to do that. What I did was use the forum's attachment feature. When you click Reply or Quote you scroll down just a bit and below the reply window you see a link called File Manager. Click that and you see where you can browse to where you've saved a screenshot. Click on that then hit Add File.
If you still have problems after you set up your synth like I've shown then please take a screen shot of the same two windows and post them.
You'll see others who can post the actual image directly into the forum. You need a separate website to host the image in order to do that. What I did was use the forum's attachment feature. When you click Reply or Quote you scroll down just a bit and below the reply window you see a link called File Manager. Click that and you see where you can browse to where you've saved a screenshot. Click on that then hit Add File.
Bob, I did the same as you. No separate website hosting. I use a jpg format and the file is 158k. That may have something to do with the inconsistent behavior.
Also notice I have the updated version of VSTSynthFont64 and I have loaded Mikes Timbres of Heaven, and I have an SF file of my old favorite Coyte Forte DXi GM. I have been very very busy as of late.
Hello all, May I respectfully request that we please keep this thread on the topic of the soundfonts and how to improve the MIDI sound. It has started branching into different issues which makes it hard to read.
Regards Bernt
Band in a Box Latest: ULTRA 2020 (734) on Win 10 And: MEGA 2020 (720) on Windows 7
No. I have to kill the application from the task manager.
Ok Berntd, it's time to get specific. I have two attachments at the bottom of this post Image 9 and 10. These are Screenshots I just took. Open Biab and go to the to the upper left and see the menu tab "Options". The first option is "Midi/Audio Drivers Setup". Click that and you see the window shown in Image 9. Make sure you've selected the Wavetable as your midi driver and you've checked the two boxes on the right "Use VST..." and "Route Midi...".
Right below that is where I have the "VSTsynthFont64" selected. Click that and you see my Image 10. In that window is where you select plugins starting with your synth at the top and you use the bottom 3 for effects. Here are my two screenshots:
@jazzmammal
My setup looked exactly like your screenshot until a few minutes ago. I think that is the default setting it came with. I am not sure what you are trying to get me to do from there?
Regarding your screen 9:
Can you please tell me what the MIDI Output driver setting does in relation to the Use VSTi setting using the Synthfont64?
I installed the Coolsoft VirtualMIDISynth and it appears under MIDI Output driver in screen 9. But when I select it instead of the Microsoft GS wavetable synth (screen 9), I still see all the same stuff in screen 10 as before.
It is unclear to me as to what the path of the MIDI to audio is in all these setup options.
@Musicstudent Dan, I cannot follow what your picture is trying to show me. I see it but no idea where that setup screen comes from nor how you got to that point.
Best regards Bernt
Last edited by berntd; 06/20/1908:42 PM.
Band in a Box Latest: ULTRA 2020 (734) on Win 10 And: MEGA 2020 (720) on Windows 7
If you are still here... I have installed the free Kontakt-Player. I have a piano loaded and in the plug in version from BIAB MIDI setup, I can play the virtual keyboard and hear sound ok.
But there is no input from BIAB. I have the Piano set to Kontakt-Player but the piano does not play nothing.
In Kontakt, there is no MIDI input option showing in the MIDI settings. Any idea how I can get Kontakt to accept MIDI input from BIAB?
Last edited by berntd; 06/21/1902:18 AM.
Band in a Box Latest: ULTRA 2020 (734) on Win 10 And: MEGA 2020 (720) on Windows 7
@Musicstudent Dan, I cannot follow what your picture is trying to show me. I see it but no idea where that setup screen comes from nor how you got to that point.
Hit the Options button in your second picture and all will be revealed. This is where you replace the system GM with soundfonts.
Set the channel to "Omni" instead of "[A] 1" in Kontakt, or instead force to channel 1 instead of "none" in the drop down tab of the BiaB plugin dialogue box.
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Don’t forget we took the tick out of use vst, to play sound fonts you will need that back if you are using Kontakt as it is a vsti. As I said earlier Kontakt does not have a set of gm voices ready loaded . Each voice has to be loaded in Kontakt and matched to the BIAB channel for that track. You can see these BIAB channel numbers if you go to options/preferences/channels
You may well find it easier to insert separate instances of Kontakt for each track, that you want to use a Kontakt voice on. Rather than set up a multi. That way you can set Kontakt input channel to omni for each instance and the it wont matter what channel BIAB sends on. Mike
Here is a clue. Get the soundfonts working first. That will give you the better sounds in the easiest manner. Then jump into the deep end of the pool by working with Kontakt. Just a suggestion.
Yes, I was about to post the same thing. You're experienced with programming and have some understanding of midi so you should understand what I'm saying here. When you're having a problem with software you have to carefully narrow it down by keeping it simple and testing one thing at a time. Don't be suddenly jumping around until you've finished testing a previous thing. So let's back up a minute.
In your very first post you said the midi styles sounded terrible. That aside were you at least hearing all of the instruments? What were you using for your synth? The Coyote Wavetable or the VSTsynthfont?
My point is your screens look correct to me so the question is what changed? I don't have the technical answer as to how midi is routed through Biab because I don't care. All I know is do it this way and it works.
I have the answer for you getting no sound when you try to play piano through Kontakt but lets get past this first.
YOU can mix and match your default vsti with your Kontakt synth in the same BIAB song project. You friend here is the Plugins window. In here you can send some tracks to the default synth and some to instances of Kontakt inserted on other tracks. Note the easiest way to do this is to first put a tick in the box in midi settings and chose what you want for your default vst dxi
Bring up the plug in window The instrument and tracks are down the left hand side and correspond with the mixer The bottom item is to set your default synth you must put this in the top slot on the right see pic1. All your tracks will use this unless you tell them otherwise individually.
If you want to use Kontakt say on the melody or any other track, click on that individual track down the left hand side of the plugins window and insert Kontakt for that track in the top slot on the right to overwrite the default for that track only see pic 2 The mixer will reflect your view.
Note I am working with an all midi style here for simplicity that’s why all text in the mixer tracks are yellow , but you can of course use realtracks on any track. You will only be able to use your Kontakt to replace realtracks that have midi transcription for the real tracks. But why would you want to if you like the sound of the realtrack.
To edit or set up your inserted Kontakt at a later date you can get access to the interface by bringing up the plugins window and choosing the track on the left. Its easier than it reads! Mike
Last edited by Mike Head; 06/22/1901:42 PM. Reason: extra info on realtracks
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XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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