Just tuning into this thread (ha) and I see my name was invoked. Yes, I play a bunch of horns in different keys, and write for everything from brass choir and chamber orchestra to jazz ensemble and symphony orchestra.

I don't think the problem here is in the system, as in the sample or bit rate. Nor MIDI versus RealTracks. Nor your ears. I believe you that it sounds bad.

I think Noel is closer to the right answer, but I would not adjust the concert pitch as the remedy here. It will fix this song but mess up all your other songs, because I think that value sticks.

Stephen, here's the problem. You took a fakebook with songs written for a Bb instrument and entered that into BIAB. Because your fakebook is not in concert pitch, you will have to make adjustments most people do not. For example, if your fakebook has a song in the key of G, the song is actually in Concert F but BIAB is still playing it in G because that's what you entered. When you then read along with your tenor, your tenor sound is one full step (two half-steps) low. See if that's what you're hearing.

BIAB is kind of designed to be used the other way around. I always get fakebooks in concert pitch and enter songs in concert pitch and then use the BIAB transposition to adjust for the instrument that is playing along.

So, since you've already entered the song from Bb instrument sheet music, first transpose your song down one whole step (example G to F, or C to Bb). Then use one of several ways in BIAB to tell the program you want to see sheet music adjusted for tenor sax (but not change the pitch of playback). This happens to be +14 half-steps in the pull-down, since a tenor sax sounds an octave and a major second lower than written, or in other words, a ninth lower. Depending on the resulting range of the song, you can also try +2 which works for soprano sax or trumpet, other instruments pitched in Bb.

If you want to avoid head-scratching situations, always think in terms of concert pitch and adjust from there.

BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.