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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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I've installed BIAB UltraPak+ on my 2018 MacBook Pro and it's been crashing constantly. I'll enter a few measures of chords and then audition several different styles. After about ten minutes of this, the program crashes and I have to re-start.

Also, does anybody know what the BBM4 application is that's in the BIAB folder? Does it need to be launched?

Thanks.

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BBM4 is a background application the plugin uses to perform some Band-in-a-Box functions.

I'm sorry I can't help with your first question.


Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1220) RB (Build 4) - Ultra+ PAK
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Originally Posted By: andymarx
I've installed BIAB UltraPak+ on my 2018 MacBook Pro and it's been crashing constantly. I'll enter a few measures of chords and then audition several different styles. After about ten minutes of this, the program crashes and I have to re-start.

Also, does anybody know what the BBM4 application is that's in the BIAB folder? Does it need to be launched?

Thanks.


Well that's not good although it is an interesting problem or quirk you have discovered !

This may or may not help could you provide us an example of what you did when you wrote so that we could try to duplicate that problem ?

Quote:
I'll enter a few measures of chords and then audition several different styles.


On the other hand the gurus at Mac Band may already know the answer .


Mac Audiophile 2020 2019 2018 2017 USB plus previous years versions

macOS Mojave - 10.14.6 @ Aug 16, 2019

iMac i3 3.6 GHz 8GB RAM 4K with Retina display

some examples @ sound cloud done with Mac Band and DAW's : https://soundcloud.com/you/tracks
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After entering some chords, I then open the style picker and audition different styles. Then, after several minutes, the program crashes and I have to re-start. It's done it on my 2019 iMac, my 2019 MacBook Pro, and even when running the program off the USB dirve that PG Music supplies. I have emailed PG Music support and provided them with the crash logs, so hopefully, they'll have an answer.

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Happens to me as well. Very exasperating. It happens when I run it from the USB drive. Copied the files to a new SSD drive - same result. Installed BB 2019 to my internal hard drive same thing.

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I have some issues but not that.

If BBM4 is causing the problem, that should show up in the crash logs, Console.app or both.


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I purchased the download version of BIAB Pro for Mac 2019. I had some installation issues, at first, too.

It turned out that the installation was incomplete. The Installer put some packages in my Root folder that needed to be installed. The original disk images unpacked those packages but never executed them. Once I ran those packages and installed the missing files, all was well. Maybe you're having the same issue?

Somewhere I read that some packages would be installed as Devices. When they didn't appear in Devices, that's when I dug deeper and found them in the HD's Root folder.

Maybe that will be of some help to you, I hope.

From Page 10, Chapter 1, 2019 Band-in-a-Box Mac Manual.

"Band-in-a-Box Folder
The /Band-in-a-Box folder has a clean look with three application files - Band-in-a-Box, Band-in-a-Box-32bit, and BBM4 (used for the Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin). The rest of the files are in subfolders.
The folders include the Drums folder for RealDrums files and the RealTracks folder for RealTracks files. If any of these folders is moved or the files are installed in a custom location, the new location must be entered in the RealDrums Settings dialog or the RealTracks Settings dialog so that Band-in-a-Box knows where to find them.
The Preferences you set in the program are saved in the Preferences folder, and this folder also has a file named Intrface.BBM with all the program settings including MIDI and audio driver setup. If this file is removed to the trash the program will open like a new installation the next time it runs. It will prompt for all initial setup selections. This is useful as a “global reset” if there are system settings that have been changed by accident."

There's your answer to BBM4 app.

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Since the last update the crashes have gotten worse and worse. Got the gray screen and had to CMD + control + power button forced reboot to get unfroze. Restarting in Safe Mode was how I finally got the machine back up and running tonight. Did a Hardware Test restart, then a Disk FirstAid and no problems found in either place.

FYI, PG Music, it acts like it's running out of memory, like maybe your code has a memory leak. Either that, or something to do with MIDI, because I'm running a Roland A-49 Keyboard MIDI Controller. Which, by the way, gives me no trouble in Studio One 4.

I'm one month on BIAB Pro. Before that, my machine was stable; never a crash.

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Use the Rebuild commands in the Style Picker and Song Picker windows, especially after installing a new version or update.


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Running BIAB from the external HD supplied by PG
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Yes, I too am getting frequent crashes. I'll make a more careful note about what does it next time. At the time, I'm usually in the middle of trying to construct a song. smile


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Originally Posted By: parisslim
Yes, I too am getting frequent crashes. I'll make a more careful note about what does it next time. At the time, I'm usually in the middle of trying to construct a song. smile


Yes, if possible please let us know specifically when that happens / what triggers it - In the mean-time perhaps you could install this new build 317. One thing this addresses is a crash related to note-based lyrics in a song, however I'm not sure if this would address your problem.... we need more specific information about it. This build is not posted on the site yet as it is a pre-release build. If it introduces any problems for you, you can always revert to the previous build (found in Band-in-a-Box/Data/Backup)
https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/support/patches/bb2019_mac_update_build317.pkg


Originally Posted By: johne1
FYI, PG Music, it acts like it's running out of memory, like maybe your code has a memory leak. Either that, or something to do with MIDI, because I'm running a Roland A-49 Keyboard MIDI Controller.


I think this is probably an unrelated problem. And I think you may be right that it is related to an interaction with some hard drive device on your system (though I haven't specifically seen this problem before). For starters, I would suggest unplugging the device and using Band-in-a-Box for a while by itself - Check Sound settings in system prefs that input and output are set to "internal".


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I start using BIAB on november 2019, I can confirm, I got crashes a few times, I noted that it happens surely when you change quite a lot of styles, listening the chords with a new style, after 15 or more changes, BIAB get freeze, I ask myself if it's not a buffer problem, I have 16 go ram memory and I use logicpro flawless with a lot of plug-ins.
it seems it's better with the 317 update...
it's my feel. have a nice day.phil


MacBookPro M1 max, BIAB audiophile 2024, Logicpro X, UAD apollo, ASR10, marshall, peavey, Vox, Guitars...
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Hello!
I just bought the 2019 version last month, installed it on my mac 2019, running mojave, and it crashes often too. The crashes always happen when I'm in the style picker, listening to different styles. Has anyone figured out a solution to this?

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Can you see if this happens with this new build (319)?
https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/support/patches/bb2019_mac_update_build319.pkg


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Crashes in the Style Picker can sometimes be fixed by using the Rebuild command (in the Style Picker window). This is especially important to do after any new version update is installed.


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Running BIAB from the external HD supplied by PG
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Andrew,

Suddenly, I couldn't load any styles without biab shutting down and leaving an error message. After finding this post, I downloaded the build you suggested to the other person.

Now, I am able to change styles, but every 4-5 bars, there is a loud static sound -- it is not associated with any of my sound equipment or interference of any kind.

Your help is always appreciated. Suggestions, please. Thanks.

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Did you try the slow rebuild? If not, do so.


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I have the same crash problem as other users in BIAB 2019 including the static click. The 321 update hasn't improved matters.

Additionally, in the Stylepicker I'm finding there's a 6-second delay before the 'Play using current chord sheet for song' activates. It was virtually instant in earlier non-64 bit versions of BIAB.

____________________________________

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Quote:
but every 4-5 bars, there is a loud static sound


Is this a burst of white noise that happens all the time at a regular interval? This sounds like an unactivated plugin is being used. Amplitube for example will do this if the trial period has expired. Check the plugins window...


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Thankfully update 325 has fixed most issues. Gratitude to PG Music.

Ric

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