Hi. I've been using BiB for many years and have the lastest version updated and even rebooted my PC, but I have frustrating issues trying to write songs. I have reported most of these to BiB and got just as an answer a patch which had the issues unsolved. So I list the issues here and hope some of you have solution for them:
1. I've written a new song writing the notes to Melody track and saved the song as a .MGU file. Even printed it. When I tried to open it again the notes I've written were not in Melody track anymore. Same thing with the safe copy of the song.
2. While writing the notes it does not except notes lower than C5, so I must lower then with the edit function.
3. While copying melodies by highlighting the notes, it don't copy notes lower than C5.
4. When trying to copy with Main Menu > Edit > Copy Special > Copy From...To, if I uncheck the box "Copy Lyrics" it still copies also the lyrics - so I can't use it or have to rewrite the lyrics.
5. While printing to pdf the first time it only prints chords to the first page. When I repeat the process it prints rest of the pages.
6. If I check if my BiB version is updated, is replies it is - and still there are patches to download!

All in all I have used BiB to write songs. Because BiB is not handy for recording my own stuff - even though the new utilities tracks - I record my tracks with Reaper. I only make notations and the tracks I don't play my self like drums, bass, horns with Bib:

If I have to write again the notes, it seems that I can't trust BiB in song writing anymore.

As an old ICT-pro I feel that BiB puts too much effort to new features and does not fix the bugs reported. This is the way you're gonna loose your old paying customers.

Please share your advices and experiences.

Brno
Helsinki, Finland

Hi. You have a substantive list there. Please tell us which version of BIAB, and which build.

May I suggest you create a separate post for each issue? I'm a retired IT pro, too, and this could get very tangled quickly. However, a few thoughts to start:

1. That's definitely not supposed to happen and must be very frustrating. I would do Options, Return to Factory Settings, Most and check again.

2. Tell us exactly how you 'write the notes' so we can check. Also, check Options, Preferences, Notation, Clef Split. Mine is C4. Plus, vendors differ on what they call these pitches so that info would help us, too, to know what you are using.

3. Here too, please give exact steps so we can try to duplicate.

4. I don't use lyrics so I would not have seen this, but I also do not recall ever reading about this. If true, this would clearly be a bug that should be fixed. I regularly use Copy Special From To for notes, and except for a Coda, it works great. You may have found something important here.

5. We need to know all the printing options you selected. Also I assume you are using the BIAB Print menu to a printer, and not printing to PDF printer (and if you are, which one).

6. This one is actually OK, and is by design. The program checks for the latest known stable version. According to PG Music who explained this to us something like this, they consider each new release a beta version for a time, so it will not be found by the program check. Like you, we go to the website to be sure we have the most current version.

I hope this helps to get started. Let's work these issues one at a time. And if you are correct about bugs, we can help get that report to the developers.

Thanks, but I'm not going to do the work of BiB. Listing the detailes would be like rewriting the manual, because I did like it was adviced there.
The program should work as described in the manual. Users shouldn't be using their time fixing the bugs, only report them.

I was hoping for advices like the one that I can adjust the lowest notes usable.

I have reported with the info of my version and detailed report as tech question and got only answer thet there is a newer patch that didn't help.

And shouldn't be checking updates be enough to keep update? Still there seems to be patches, like mine was at that time version 2021 (818) 64 bit and they send me a link to load patch 826 - with the issues unsolved.

It’s up to you. I tried, and there is a great deal more to try. But not without the details.

Brno, did you find that you had very few or no problems with the 2020 version last years?

With the system that PG music has in place now, once you decide to upgrade to the current years version, then unfortunately its usually a case of having to patch and wait for the current years version to become stable, which it usually does some time later in the year.

I did suggest in a thread (which has since been moved to the biab wishlist) that all new realtracks should be able to be seen in a past stable version of biab, but I'm not holding my breath in seeing that implemented.

I really feel your pain and frustration with this Brno, I'm sure a few others with the current years biab will be along to help you so hang in there.

Do understand that this is a Users forum. We're all end users. Just like yourself. We users have no control over the way the program operates.

Hi Brno,

I write melodies all the time with BIAB and I have not experienced your problems.

The one time I lost the melody I'd written was because the style I used had a Realtrack on the Melody track. When the song was generated, the notation for this Realtrack overwrote my melody. Since then, I always make sure that I only use styles that leave the Melody track free.

In relation to the low notes... Did you try clicking on the bass clef to add these. For example, if you want to add "A" below middle C, click on the top line of the bass clef. "A" should then be added with ledger lines below the treble clef.

Double-check that you have the latest update installed for BIAB. You can check what update is currently installed by looking under "Help | About Band In A Box". The update number is in brackets after the version number. We are currently up to update #825,

Updates can be downloaded and manually installed from the below site.

https://www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Noel

Many thanks. I rewrote the notes to the Melody track and this this it stayed.
I didn't know before you told, that if I change the Melody track from MIDI to Real Track it wipes out the notes. This must have happened.
Thanks, now I know not to touch to the Melody track.

Hi. Yes, I reported these issues to BiB with "Submit tech questions" and only get link to the newesdt patch, wherer these issues we'rent solved.
That's why I also asked from this forum if you have had the same problems and if have any solutions. I already got a good advice to one issue.
I also wanted to express my frustation for BiB, because they don't put enough effort to fix the bugs while being too busy to build new features.
I've also heard that the software is so old and filled with bugs that it'äs very hard to get to be stable. Maybe they should stop and rebuild the whole software.

Hi. Like I wrote I checked that my BiB version is updated and it is now Version 2021 (825) which is latest patch.
I also checked that in the Preferences Clef Split is C4, but it still does not take notes below C5. Same with trying to copy the melody highlighting the notes it does not copy notes below C5.
I could use the trick you advised, but it does not solve the copying problem.
Thanks anyway.

Hi again.

I'm guessing that you are talking about selecting and copying notes, using CTRL+C, while in Editable Notation Mode. If that's the case, please read on...

In Editable Notation Mode, while it looks like there are separate treble and bass clefs for not entry, this is not the case. These two clefs are structured such that they represent a single grand stave (and not two individual staves). With this in mind, if you want to copy notes, it's necessary to drag the selection down into the bass area of the grand stave. (See image below.) This should do the job for you.

Regards,
Noel

Thanks. I,ll try that.

Thanks for advice. Some of the issues were solved, but there still seems to be bugs in the sofware. I've reported them to PG and hope that in some future Build they are fixed.