My Problems

Alan Tanner · Post by **Alan Tanner** » 25 Jul 2010 1:31 pm

Well, I was getting some traks together to do some home recording, when all of a sudden....no sound. Didn't know why, didn't know how. I have used BIAB for a pretty long while, but never this. I run it in wind 7, and also I ordered the DVD help. I did pick up a few pointers from that also. Anyway, back when I changed the drivers, I went to a purchased version from PG music. And they REALLY sound good. Make the biab ones sound like a CB radio in comparison. Anyway, after digging around with this for about 3 hours, I finally saw that somehow I had lost my MIDI drivers for my sound card. This is on the INPUT side of the card.What makes this PARTICULARLY aggravating is that I had sound for everything else. Games, Bobbie's streaming, CD's, etc. All indications were that there was sound there, meters deflecting etc, but not reaching the card in a usable format. So, I didnt catch the MIDI driver loss for quite awhile. Anyway, I re-installed the computer sound card drivers, and all was well again. I have not the foggiest idea how or where or when the drivers were deleted. Obviously, I, like many others, feel that most computers are possessed by devils and are SELF AWARE....anyway, another thing to check for if you happen to lose sound.....Al

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 25 Jul 2010 1:47 pm

"Regular" music and sounds on the PC are mostly either wav or MP3 files. BIAB uses MIDI to generate the soound for the PC's sound card. That is why everything else worked and BIAB did not.

Although you installed the drivers for your sound card what sound card do you have? If you just have the standard integrated audio (on the motherboard audio chip) that many PC's have there is no MIDI in them you are using the Microsoft software GS WaveTable (MIDI Synth) and that is provided with Windows not the sound drivers. If you have a SoundBlaster sound card then there are hardware MIDI Synths on most SoundBlaster sound cards. You select which MIDI synth you want to use in BIAB (Opt./MIDI Audio Setup).

Alan Tanner · Post by **Alan Tanner** » 25 Jul 2010 3:11 pm

Yeah...I found all that out as I dug thru the dang problem while contemplating murder. I have a Reaktek stand alone card, and the drivers for it are not in the BIAB driver bank. The windows drivers also will not work. Oh well.....lesson learned.......

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 25 Jul 2010 5:15 pm

Al,

You mentioned the "purchased version drivers" that you ordered from PG Music. What are you referring to?

If you mean the Roland VSC DXi software synth. This will not work with Windows 7. The Coyote will work though and I think there's another one.

I'm confused as to what you're talking about.

Alan Tanner · Post by **Alan Tanner** » 25 Jul 2010 5:24 pm

Yes...sorry...I meant the Coyote version of software. This works very well and increases the quality 100 X's. I guess "drivers" was not the correct nomenclature. My main point was that this add on was NOT the problem, even tho' I had originally thought it might be since it was the newest addition. I still dont know where or why the midi drivers to my card went. I am only providing this info as it appears that others have lost audio too, and my results may be a clue to restoring operation to normal.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 25 Jul 2010 7:00 pm

Ok, I understand. I've had that problem too. Glad you found the fix. Some of these things are unexplainable and easier to fix as you did than try to figure out why. There's just so many different conbinations of software that can conflict with one another.

Alan Tanner · Post by **Alan Tanner** » 26 Jul 2010 2:25 am

I do think that windows 7 is better than Vista tho, to control. Some of the older windows were even better as far as stability goes, but Vista seemed to want to "take over". Windows 7 has a few hinkies too, but I'm learning to get around them. This problem was a new one tho'.....BIAB is not particularly user friendly all the time either, but is some remarkable software for sure.......

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 26 Jul 2010 8:06 am

Kind of off topic, but:

Yep, Windows 3.1, XP, Vista, now 7. I remember when people would stand in line for the store to open on the day they introduced the new Windows version. Then when you learned the new one and got comfortable with it, they would introduce a newer one. It's kind of like getting rid of an old pair of shoes that you've enjoyed wearing for a long time. We might as well accept it thought because Windows is the only game in town, unless you want to go Mac. I've got both. I really like Mac, but I don't want to make a complete change and buy all new Mac software, and there's a few things that I need Windows for. Certainly don't want to start a Windows vs. Mac argument here. They both have their strong pros and cons. Enough said.

Roger Kelly · Post by **Roger Kelly** » 26 Jul 2010 6:33 pm

RICK said..

"If you mean the Roland VSC DXi software synth. This will not work with Windows 7. The Coyote will work though and I think there's another one".

Reading that statement answered why my BIAB 2010 would not produce any sound after installing it on my laptop today. I have Windows 7 OS on the Laptop, but have Windows Vista on my desktop which I installed with no problems at all.
I did several re-installs on my Laptop thinking that the drivers just weren't installing properly.
After reading Rick's comment, I changed my setting to Coyote and the sound came through loud and clear! Thanks for starting this thread Alan and thanks for Jack and Rick's comments too. It got me off in the right direction.

Problem solved!

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 28 Jul 2010 2:24 pm

Pardon me being the dummy, but at some point I may be loading BIAB on Windows 7. Please explain to me what coyote is.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 28 Jul 2010 2:42 pm

"Canis Latrans"

Sorry, couldn't resist. Ken, Coyote ForteDXI is "a DirectX (DXi) plug-in that implements a high-quality sample player. Its sampled instruments offer a sound quality far better than the standard MIDI synthesizer. ForteDXi works with any compatible DXi host program to allow it to produce very realistic instrument sounds. Click here to learn about it.

Alan Tanner · Post by **Alan Tanner** » 1 Aug 2010 6:40 am

At this point it is a sold by PG Music also. You can download it with a fully operational 30 day trial. If you like it, you pays yer bux and they send you a key code and instructions on how to load it up. It has a lot of features and is easy to set up. The problem I had was NOT related to The Coyote software that I can tell, but rather something I did, or the computer decided to do of it's own accord. The sound is amazing, and there is no comparison between the old and the new, at least for me. Good luck....AL

http://www.pgmusic.com/fortedxi.htm
http://www.coyotes.bc.ca/ForteDXi.html

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 1 Aug 2010 10:01 am

PG Music has a new one. It's the Roland TTS-1 synth. It cost $39 and will work with Windows 7. PG Music is sending me a copy now and I'll be able to check it out in a few days. My PG contact tells me it's far far better than anything else out there.

I never cared for Coyote as much as the original Roland VSC, but some people do like it.

I'll report back here on the ne Roland TTS-1 after I've had a chance to work with it.

Alan Tanner · Post by **Alan Tanner** » 1 Aug 2010 5:00 pm

This will be interesting. I think the original tts1 has been around for a spell, but like so much other software, would not run in W-7. One thing about computers and software....they are always changing but not always for the better.
I bought some CAD software at work and the manual that came with it is the size of the Moscow phone book, and just about as easy to read and understand.