BIAB out of tune with tuners

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Feb 2012 8:49 pm

I am using BIAB 10, and when I enter a song, it plays back about 3/4 of a fret flat. I checked my steel and acoustic guitar with 2 different tuners, so the problem has to be BIAB.

I found a tuning option under GM/Master Tuning, but that seems to be a tuning compensation for MIDI devices hooked to the computer. It had NO effect on the flatness of the song. Is there somewhere else I should look. Don't recall this being a problem before. Also, it does this on every song I enter, not just one.

Don't suggest I upgrade to solve the problem. It should be fine with this version. I only use BIAB a couple of times a year, so upgrading is a pure waste of money for me. This problem pretty much makes it useless.

David Collins · Post by **David Collins** » 2 Feb 2012 1:49 pm

Hi Richard,

I've never used BIAB 10, but I have used later versions. Had a similar issue on one particular PC, a lap top. It turned out to be the sound card in the lap top, not BIAB.

You may want to try it on another PC just to see. I ended up using a different lap top for my portable stuff and it works fine.

Just a thought, good luck.

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 2 Feb 2012 2:49 pm

From the PG Music support site:

25. Band-in-a-Box is playing out of tune. Can I correct the tuning of my sound card?

Tuning depends on the sound source. If you are using a sound card/synth that can be tuned,(Roland VSC, Creative SoundBlaster, and others), you may be able to tune it using the Master Tuning feature in Band-in-a-Box, under the GM menu. If this does not work, see your sound card/synth manufacturer for support. If you are using a synth module or keyboard, see the manual for tuning info.

Hope this helps.

h

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Feb 2012 4:38 pm

I had received an email from someone saying it was the sound card. I didn't think that was possible since it was not a problem in the past. So, I installed BIAB on my laptop, and guess what... It plays in tune. So it must be the sound card.

What would make it suddenly start playing BIAB files out of tune? MIDI, Mp3, and other files are not affected. They are right on pitch. It is ONLY BIAB files that play off pitch.

I even re-installed the software, just in case. Still no good.

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 2 Feb 2012 4:45 pm

Something ha s changed with the midi interpretation on that sound card. You could go to the sound card properties through your control panel and see if there are any options.

Personally, I use the Roland VSC software synth that ships with BIAB and it has always been flawless.

As you surmise, the problem is almost certainly with that sound card.

cheers

h

p.s. Just a thought, did you reinstall over the original or did you UNINSTALL the original first? If not, might be worth a try!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Feb 2012 4:49 pm

Howard. I concede that it is the sound card. But if it is a MIDI interpretation problem, why do my MIDI files play on pitch?

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 2 Feb 2012 4:54 pm

Ahh..Sweet mystery of life!

I do not know.

You might consider a call into PG Music. I've made that call once or twice and came away impressed with their customer service.

h

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Feb 2012 4:55 pm

Alright. Now this gets interesting. I saved a BIAB .sgu file as a MIDI file. The MIDI file plays back on pitch. I'll just save my files as MIDI files and it should be OK.

Ahh..Sweet mystery of life!

Another reason to have a beer.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Feb 2012 5:11 pm

Richard, this has happened several times on my computer... BIAB plays slightly flat. I finally realized that it only happens when I have multiple audio programs running at the same time. For example, if I'm using Audacity (recording program) and I also open BIAB, BIAB will sometimes play flat. So I shut down both programs and restart the computer. Then BIAB will play fine (440).

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Feb 2012 6:56 pm

Thanks Doug. I don't have any other programs open. Maybe there is an audio program running in the background that I don't know about. I'll check tomorrow. I do use other audio playback programs prior to using BIAB, so maybe I'll restart before I try BIAB again and see if that helps. If not, it's no problem for me to use BIAB and save the files as a MIDI file also. They play in tune using Real Player.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 25 Mar 2012 11:56 am

I'm no longer as smart as I once was.......I need to know:

I have BIAB Pro-10 installed on my Dell Laptop.
I later installed BIAB-11 Upgrade........

If I acquire the latest issue of BIAB will it simply install on top of these two earlier issues, much like an operating system, or will I need to acquire any intervening issues of BIAB to make it all work properly in the end.

What is the current issue of BIAB and how much does it cost? Many thaks!

Bob Gondesen · Post by **Bob Gondesen** » 26 Jul 2012 2:04 pm

Hi Richard,I HAD A SIMLAR PROBLEM . WHEN I USE BIAB
I PUT THE SONG THAT I MADE ON A 3/12 FLOPPY DISK
WHICH I PLAY IT BACK THRU A ROLAND MIDI REAL PLAYER
SD-35 . I HAD TROUBLE LIKE YOU DID ,THE TRACK OUT OF TUNE . I LOOK UP IN THE ROLAND SD-35 MANUEL, THEY ADVISED ME , TURN THE POWER OFF ON THE
ROLAND SD-35 , HOLD CLEAR BUTTON DOWN , TURN POWER
ON , RELEASE THE CLEAR BUTTON , THEN PRESS THE RECORD
BUTTON ON . THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM .I KNOW YOU
MOST LIKELY USE A DIFFERENT SET UP , BUT THIS IS ODD
THAT WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM . I HOPE YOU CAN
CORRECT YOUR PROBLEM
GOOD LUCK
BOB GONDESEN
LA MARQUE , TEXAS
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Larry Moore · Post by **Larry Moore** » 26 Jul 2012 4:58 pm

I don't know if this has been answered or not but try this.
On your comp. go to your "Control Panel" look for "Multi-channel sound manager" open it and, look on the tab "sound effect".. mine is set on "none".
The Key is set on "+0"
you can change the key by "+ or -"
I am using Windows XP
I am using BiaB 2004
It is in tune and I have never had a problem I have it on a desk top and a Lap top.
Larry

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 15 Aug 2012 8:17 am

On your comp. go to your "Control Panel" look for "Multi-channel sound manager" open it and, look on the tab "sound effect".. mine is set on "none".

No such thing on my computer. I think that is specifically for the sound card you have in your computer. I use the sound card (Sigma Tel) that is on the mother board of my Dell. The selection in control panel is called "Sounds & Audio Devices". There are none of the settings you mentioned.

The problem actually is hit or miss these days. Sometimes it is right on, other times it is off using the same file.

Paul Seager · Post by **Paul Seager** » 29 Oct 2012 1:58 am

I realise this is an on / off discussion but I came across this because I have the same issue on a lap top but not on old PC. In the case of the lap top (a Lenovo R400) it plays BiaB files sharp (about 40% higher than 440Hz.)
I had already tried most of the tips mentioned in this chain and concluded that it is the sound card but as these are generally in-built on mother boards, it is therefore the PC. BiaB is my musical sketch pad, so I won't invest in an alternative sound card.
So to compensate for this issue I created a "tuning song", four bars of each string. I tune up with BiaB and then I'm ready to go. At first this was annoying but then I realised that I do the same when playing along with old LP's, CD's etc., so what the heck!

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 29 Oct 2012 4:05 pm

it plays BiaB files sharp (about 40% higher than 440Hz.)

Wow, 40 percent results in the A 440hz playing at 616hz.

That's more than five frets higher than it should be.

I wouldn't have thought that there is
this much 'lee-way' in a soundcard!
~Russ

Paul Seager · Post by **Paul Seager** » 29 Oct 2012 11:45 pm

Good catch Russ!

Perhaps I meant 40 cents! Whatever the little measurements on a Boss tuner indicate (my eyes, my age!), it was almost halfway to the max.

It was certainly enough for me to sink into musical depression, believing that I had the worst intonation in the world, to drag out an old cassette deck and set up a mini recording unit before finaly occuring to me that maybe that darn modern technology is at fault!

\ Paul

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BIAB out of tune with tuners

BIAB out of tune with tuners

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer but....................

Biab out of tune with tuners

BiaB out of tune....