This has never happened to me before. At first I thought it was a Build 619 thing (which I have other issues with, but that's for another thread). So I launched RB and I'm getting the same issue (ran as admin, ofc).

The really odd thing as the various meters and stuff in the plugins indicate that they are receiving a signal...so it's not like the whole chain is somehow being bypassed. :-(


Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I think you mean it still plays with a VSTi in the Melody track ?
The Melody track always uses the default synth so you need to move the midi and VSTi to another track.
But in RB this wouldn't be the case so not sure whats happening ?
Maybe you could elaborate more.
Below is what I thought was the issue until I saw your whole heading.


Do you mean VSTsynthfont64 as I get that with a note stuck on ?

I tried updating https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=525054#Post525054

https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=522940#Post522940

Coolsoft VirtualMIDISynth you can have 4 instances if you are running other apps at the same time. https://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth

I mean when I try to load (or, to be more accurate, successfully load) MT-Power Drum Kit in the drum slot I see the kit, the name of the plugin replaces "none" in the line of 4 nones in the mixer's plugin tab but I hear the old drums.

Similarly, I try and load Hybrid 3 on a string track, and the VST launches but I still hear the DXI strings and none of the VST's sounds (I just reinstalled BiaB and reset to factory, I haven't even bothered w/ Reasynthsoundfont64 or whatever it's called).

TBH, I've had so many headaches this year that I stopped using the program for the last few months but maybe I'll address those issues in other threads...

It's a shame, I used to use this program so much last year, and this year it's been one thing after another. I've just about given up, but decided to give it another shot today because I LOVEHATELOVEHATELOVEHATELOVEHATE this program!

Have you tried returning to an earlier build to see if that solves the problem?

A couple of times over the years, a new update hasn't worked properly for me and I've just downloaded and installed the previous build. Doing this sets BIAB back to that build.

Regards,
Noel

Hi

Yes indeed Noels advice is a sound idea . Because you are not certain quite where and when the problem occurred and the many fixes you have tried since, it is best to roll back to a version that worked for you last year . then you need to check that it still works as expected with your Pc build today.
If all is well now try to update to the new version over the top, plus the latest update. It may just be that when you done this last time it installed over a corrupted old version or may have happened during the install so you are working on a bad base.
Just my thoughts,
Mike

In RB
First, maybe try the Make All BB tracks regular tracks option (right-click - Track option)
When they change, they will not have Blue track names anymore, if they did.
Then it behaves like RB instead of BiaB. Some RB functions only happen on regular RB tracks, as I mentioned; the Blue BiaB tracks continue to try to emulate a more BiaB behavior.

If you opened a BiaB file in RB, the tracks may be acting like BiaB tracks and not as expected like with other RB files.
After changing them to regular tracks, use Save As (to a SEQ file format) to preserve your original BiaB file.
Then work with the resulting SEQ file in RB.

After that, how exactly are you loading the plugin?
I'd normally right click the track and assign to a different VSTi port, then assign the desired synth to that port in the resulting popup.

Hi DeaconBlues,

Do you still hear the default synth's sounds if you mute the Audio track?

Wondering if you have a WAV render of a previous version of the song playing on that track, and that's what you're hearing.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

It's not very clear to me in the OP if the problem is audio or MIDI here, but if it's MIDI related: some runaway MIDI controller left behind? I found a program change occasionally i couldn't remove with BIAB's pianoroll editor. Usually the fix is to erase/reset the track completely, or even to import the MIDI file in a proper DAW where you can manhandle the data.

Funny one for the Halion Sonic users: if you leave Local ON active in Midi options, you'll get some low level 'bang a gong' sound like a bed spring when file playback starts with BIAB.

BTW a list of controllers on Bob Norton's site with some useful advice: http://www.nortonmusic.com/midi_cc.html

Thanks Noel,

I did not know you could roll back to a previous build this way. I will try this if nothing else in the comments below works.

Thanks Rharv,

TBH, I have only uses RB in the past for the multi-riff function, and was just trying it now to see if I have the same issue with MIDI VSTs as I did in BiaB.

I've been loading plugins w/o issue since I originally purchased the program in 2014 and 2015. In fact I made a couple of YT videos on organizing and loading up your plugins in BiaB, and how to identify the proper file paths for 32 bit vs 64, as well as a video about using Minihost Modular as a plugin, so I'm pretty sure I have the basics down. This is a bug of some sort.

Thanks Kent, but this is a fresh install, these are yellow (not blue) MIDI tracks, and I'm loading up fresh demos from the Stylpicker, so no audio track was created for these.

The problem is definitely MIDI, (I mean I guess you could call it audio in some sense in that I'm hearing the wrong audio at the end of the day, lol).

To clarify. I have a bunch of regular MIDI tracks from a MIDI style (not even a MST in sight). I click on the first [None] on the drum track. I have MT Power Drummer, or Hybrid 3, or Helm, already added to the list. I select one of those. The VST pops up, I select a preset. I press play. I hear the same sound that I heard as I did before I initially loaded the plugin--even though the first of the 4 [None] boxes indicate that the plugin is, indeed, loaded in.

If it's related to Midi FILE IMPORTS; some files are stuffed with all sorts of data no one needs .... read my post above?

I did read your post above (did you read mine?). It has nothing tot do with imported files. I'm having these issues with BiaB style demos on a relatively fresh install.

The problem only cropped up w/ the latest build, as I mentioned in the OP. I'll probably just end up rolling it back...

This is an interesting thread as I am not having this problem with my 64 bit BiaB. I'm sure you are doing this but just in case are you forcing the MIDI channel? I always do this, usually channel 1 for each different VSTi.

DeaconBlues ... already tried the cleanup? factory reset? I usually have one default VST, Halion Sonic, sometimes sforzando ... so about these others mentioned i have no clue ... maybe you can pinpoint the culprit by soloing, or removing one by one ...

Cleanup: Check.

Factory Reset: Check.

Soloing: Check.

As I mentioned earlier, it appears that a rollback will be required. But what really baffles me about this is that I'm the only one who seems to be having these problems with the latest build :-(

You're an experienced user so please excuse the dumb question. Do you have your midi styles set to automatically substitute Real Drums for midi drums?

Bob

Does your VSTi Plugins window look something like this?

If you are not using the default synth maybe just set it to midiOut.dll so you get no sound.

Asking dumb questions, with BIAB i am getting used to it; here's one for you: In the old days of MIDI sequencing one used to mess with Controller 123, 'all notes off' and more like 124, omni off, 0r 122, local on/off. It seems old fashioned these days, tried to find a CC123 on STOP choice function with BIAB, seems not to be there there? In Cubase it's still there. 123 will shut down & kill any runaway MIDI monkey usually. F

Nope. I think it's a neat feature, but I've always unchecked that automatic substitution option. Also note that this is not only w/ respect to drum tracks. I just used that as an example. I have that issue every time I try and load a VSTi on any MIDI track whatsoever :-(

Hmm,...not sure I follow. Set what to "midiOut.dll"?

Yes, it looks exactly like this.

A null output so you get no sound from the default midi device if you just use virtual instruments, you can set it to SforzandoVSTi and leave it empty.
https://code.google.com/archive/p/pizmidi/downloads

curious: solved?

Ermm... I'm not exactly sure what this means, or what I'm supposed to do with those files...

If you're referring to Pipeline's latest suggestion, then I must confess I don't really understand what it's about.

TBH, I don't really have much time to spend on this right now due to work volume issues, and a possible relocation coming up in my life at the end of the month which was rather unexpected. This compounded with the fact that I've also been crippled with so many access violations--it's gotten to the point where all I do is press space bar to pause a song and have to click through 9 layers of violation popups before the program continues (or, worse, straight up crashes and shuts itself down), that I'm afraid I'll have to shelve this program for a while until after the next few updates have been released. :-(

If you set the default midi synth to SforzandoVSTi and leave it empty you should get NO SOUND.
The download are just a lot of useful midi plugins including midiOut.dll that can be used as a null device.

Any song, every time? Could you take a screenshot next time that happens? What I suggest is to run the main Band-in-a-Box installer again (just the one installer, not the RT's etc), install the program (and latest patch) to a folder C:\bbtest. Run the program from this folder by double-clicking C:\bbtest\bbw.exe. Don't change any settings from their defaults, and if you do make changes, make a note of what change you made (including drivers etc.). Then see if the VSTi / Drums issue still happens.