I just step entered an entire melody for a 72 measure melody. It worked fine. I changed the MIDI sound for the melody track and now the melody won't play. It is lighting up in time in the notation window, but no sound. The rest of the tracks work fine.

What to do?

Hi Funkifized, by "I changed the MIDI sound" do you mean you are using a different plugin for the sound, or are you still using the built-in MIDI synth (CoyoteWT)? The Melody track outputs on MIDI channel 4, so if you're using a different plugin you'll need to set that plugin to use channel 4.

Hello! It would also help us to know which version year of the program you're using as well, just so we can best direct you if what Simon suggested above doesn't end up working out for you.

Still using built-in synth MIDI.

Was this not enough?:
_________________________
Band-In-A-Box for Windows
Version 2021 (840)
64 bit application
RealBand 2021 (3)
Windows 10 Pro
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
16.0 GB (15.4 GB usable)

Hi Funkifized, build 840 is an old build. Please download and install the latest build for the 2021 version and see if that helps your issue: https://www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm

When I go to "Check for updates", the dialog box cubes up with "Band-In-A-Box for Windows is up to date."

How would I have known about this update?

The update didn't fix the problem.

Can you upload the file so we can try at our end?

The latest public update is always found on the PG Music website under the Support tab above. 842 is there now.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ASX8BiDzZyna3ewm2mtsZre9ZsvF8p5K/view?usp=sharing

But not in "Check for updates"? Do I need to look in that Support tab daily? Hourly? I've got work due with this app. If I'm not told about the updates that are going to hinder my work, this is a problem.

I've got the file here: Melody not playing file

Does that work?

Look at Alt-shift-L. I think you have activated a number of Practice items and soloist items (woodshedding and trading 4's) which may be the root of the problem. Also since you have frozen many of the tracks the arrangement does not fix itself with fresh regenerations.

No nevermind that....I appear to have it fully fixed but I had to take a drastic turn... Return to Factory Settings! When I do this I can now hear the entire melody as a jazz guitar patch. I did not do anything to the song but just RTFS to the program.

Can't really explain this one, but RTFS is always the ticket when BIAB is not doing what you know it should do.

RTFS did not fix the problem. I can't change the MIDI sound for the melody, nor is there a melody playing. I've unfrozen all of the tracks, too. Regenerating does nothing to fix this.

I have BIAB beta 843. Could that be the fix at my end?? Someone else has to step up and look at this file.

Come on all you mididiots. Download and tell us what is wrong when you play with the midi melody line in this song.

OK, got it downloaded. Seems to play fine for me. I didn't run it through my midi system just so I could hear it "raw". The melody line labeled Guitar 3 is plating a HQ sForzando patch 02701.

There is an odd patch on the line labeled Guitar 2, it's muted in the song but the description says its a RealTrack ~980; a rhythm electric guitar waltz. Strangely, when you unmute it and play that line, it sounds like a RealTrack sax solo.

Jeff

There is a sax solo Real Track, which is muted. The melody should be on the Guitar 2 track.

Try this, see if you can hear your melody:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dUzRXeLVFS_E_KDr_1Eb7cUqAQV1s-43/view?usp=sharing

The track was set to use Sforzando. I removed that, so it should use the default synth instead.

Guitar track 2 plays fine on my computer. It has Sforzando loaded with a PGMusic Jazz Guitar patch on my computer.

Of course, that means to change patches, you need to either unload Sforzando from the track to select a standard GM patch using the default synth (what Simon did), or change patches from within the Sforzando VSTi interface.

I reinstalled sforzando, and that fixed the problem. However, I find that if I choose a sforzando patch, I can no longer change back to other GM patches. This seems like a disingenuous move.

I can't open the file that you attached.

I don't understand how to unload sforzando from the track. Why make it available to choose if it's only going to cause problems?

If you would like to remove sforzando on your track, make sure you are on the Plugins tab of the mixer, click the track and select Remove Plugin in the menu.

So, anytime I try a sforzando patch for a sound, I have to go through this to try a different sound?

No, it is easier than that. Don't "Remove Plugin" as shown in the picture. Instead select "Choose Plugin". This will allow you to change to any of the Plugins you have installed. But I thought we had concluded that this did not work on your system.

Based on responses we have been getting, seemed like the problem was specific to something at your end. The file you sent works fine here.

I can select any sound plugin, including Kontakt if you want a real high Q sound.

I reinstalled the Hi-Q plugin. So, it was on my end. However, I couldn't switch to any other non-Hi- sounds, which is why I'm back.

Is Kontakt expensive? Worth it? I don't understand why we can select Hi-Q patches but then have to jump through hoops to back out of them.

It is not supposed to be that hard. Several have now indicated it is an easy switch. Standard operating procedure for auditioning different VST sound sources.

Regarding Kontakt, Yes and Yes. However, it is best used in your DAW.

Beyond what Chantelle mentioned about removing plugins, some styles pre-load certain Hi-Q instruments. If you don't like using MIDI SuperTracks or Hi-Q instruments, you can always stick with all RealTrack Styles, but if you're working with MIDI Melody or prefer using General MIDI patches that may not be ideal. When you're in the StylePicker however, when you click on a Style, it should show you the instruments it will load at the bottom of the StylePicker, or provide you with a memo box that states info about the style. You can check either of these sections to see if a Hi-Q instrument is going to be loaded. In the memo box it outlines what gets loaded in text, but the instruments listed in the bottom left show the colour of the text. Anything light blue is going to be a MIDI SuperTrack.

I'm using styles that have MIDI as well as Real Tracks. I just want to be able to enter the melody for my student to play along with. I'd like it to sound at least somewhat like a guitar, so the Hi-Q sounds work pretty well. If there's a better MIDI sound collection, I'd love to hear about it.

I don't know what MIDI Super Tracks are.

try this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu2iOQ15AtQ

Thanks, but I'm not necessarily looking for better sounding acoustic guitar MIDI. I tend toward electric blues/funk grooves, especially in a New Orleans funk/SW16 feel.

Some good sounding electric guitars for melody would be much appreciated. Horns, too.

sorry, i thought i had suggested this link as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw5v7JRWUmo

just google best electric guitar plugin and choose videos - as well as the link above you'll get several to watch

This is a little off-topic, but related. It's from the same file. I edited it down to this section. In measures 1, 3, and 5, the 4th note in those measures seems to be dropped or made staccato. I can't figure out why. It's the 8th note on beat 3.

What's wrong here? To see what I'm talking about, it's best to view in Notation mode. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TCR-MAH4UxFRji3xzxM761o5pbyBQOsT/view?usp=sharing

We took a look at your file. Here is a screenshot of the first bar in the PianoRoll where the "staccato" note is heard. There are actually overlapping notes, which would result in it sounding different. I tried dragging the note length so they were beside each other instead of overlapping and it fixed that staccato effect.

I use many times MAGIX SAMPLITUDE 's Virtual instruments and it's VANDAL SE for some great guitar sounds and then i add them to my BIAB song

I've never heard of those. Expensive? Worth it? Are they easily selected in BIAB?

+++ Magix Samplitude Homepage +++

MAGIX SAMPLITUDE AROUND $70 ...I WOULD LIKE TO TRY PRO TOOLS

dragon.
why pro tools when you already have nice SAMP.??
if your on windows you also have the nice REALBAND.

go on you tube and youll see lots of comparisons
between various daw software.

for example heres one...reaper (that i use with biab and realband ) compared with pro tools...from a pro tools veteran user.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKCvJsG-zrQ

the song and audio engineering skills imho are more important than what daw one uses these days.
frankly you can do a hit song in anything these days ..
all the daws are good...frankly i'm following harrison mixbus also these days. its a emulation of big studio harrison consoles i once used.


best
om

How is this about $70? Looks like $300 to me.