Virtually new install - TTS-1 missing already!

[Byron Dickens]

True, some people use it all the time without issues. Others can fiddle-fart around with various workarounds and "get it to work." Somewhat. Still others have nothing but issues.

Therefore, I can't really get myself to recommend expending much effort on it when there's quite literally thousands of plugins that work flawlessly. My time is too valuable to waste on abandonware.

The OP has not mentioned issues with any other plugins.

[Digsy]

OK ,I just did a complete uninstall following the instructions here: https://help.cakewalk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034066393-Clean-Install-Cakewalk-by-BandLab

Guess what....? Still no TTS-1 instruments in the Plug Ins Module. Yes, once again it is right there in Plug Ins Manager, buy I can't use it.

My other Instruments re-installed fine. It is just TTS-1 that is being a pain in the *****, so I'm going to have to agree with bdickens here. I can't waste any more time on it other than to ask for a recommendation for a replacement. 

[Terry Kelley]

There are a couple of things still available that often just don't work at some point. If they could fix them, they would. There is a time when you have to just move on.

[cakerun]

Maybe I'm too late, but there's this plugin called Edirol Hyper Canvas that looks similar to TTS-1. I installed it from here:

archive.org/details/edirol-hyper-canvas-vst-installer-version-1.6.0

 

[Terry Kelley]

Munt MT-32. Free and stable and sounds like a clean MT-32,  not the 14/15 bit shenanigans they originally did with the hardware version.

[msmcleod]

The MT-32 isn't a sound canvas - it's an LA synth module (basically a cut down D50 without a keyboard).  It's not even GM - it predates GM.   GM borrowed the drum mapping from the MT-32, but that's about it.

As a synth, the MT-32 is actually pretty powerful but it's totally lame at emulating any real instruments (with the possible exception of some of the woodwind / percussion instruments).

Interestingly, the early MT-32's would actually receive D50 sysex, although anything using samples would sound wrong as the sample sets were different.

The samples on the MT-32 are a fraction of a second long, with the sustain parts of the sound being synth based.

The sound canvas (which the TTS1 is based on) is totally sample based, which is why it sounds so much better emulating real instruments.

[Siul72]

Disclaimer:
The reason for not supporting TTS-1 is questionable, as it's available for decades.
I think it should still be supported in the free version of Cakewalk for that reason.

Saying this, after some try and error, I found a solution that worked for me, as I had a PC with the old version running:

1. Zip/compress the full content of %\Cakewalk\Shared DXi\TTS-1 folder from the old installation
2. On the new installation where it's not supported go to the folder %\Cakewalk\Shared DXi\ and copy and extract the zip/compressed TTS-1 content
3. Execute regsvr32 /u C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared DXi\TTS-1\TTS-1.dll as mentioned by @scook
4. Run cake walk the the TTS-1 plugin should be working as in the old version of cakewalk

The missing parts of previous messages was that the plugin to run properly needs some additional files to run properly.

Hope it helps, as this is a great tool when you are Offstudio without a real device that support GM.

[Bristol_Jonesey]

You cannot blame Cakewalk for the demise of TTS-1 in NEW installations.

it's Roland who have pulled the plug.

[Sock Monkey]

And for me it has been the cause of multiple problems with older projects crashing on loading. I have simply replaced it with Coyote and VST synth font 64

[ManuelGuerrero]

2025. I have replaced my old computer that I have been using for ages.

TTS-1 doesn't work on the new computer. Neither on Cakewalk Bandlab or on the registered version of Cakewalk Sonar.

I have tried the suggested solution (copy Shared DXi\TTS-1 contents and edit registry) but I gen an error.

Is there any other way to activate it? I have many projects using TTS-1

I also work a lot with GM files. It is very convenient to open them on Cakewalk (from File Explorer) because it automatically inserts TTS-1  and assigns all the tracks to it.

Alternatively, if there is really no way to recover TTS-1, is there a way to install a GM player that is automatically opened and assigns all the tracks when double click on a .MID file from File Explorer?

p.s.: I never had any issue with TTS-1, and I have been using it intensively since it was released, until this week on the new computer.

Edited February 12 by ManuelGuerrero

[OutrageProductions]

To all those with an unhealthy obsession about antique technology:

[ManuelGuerrero]

2 hours ago, OutrageProductions said:

To all those with an unhealthy obsession about antique technology:

That is not really helpful. Could you please tell me of a healthy modern technology VSTi GM player that is automatically inserted on Cakewalk when opening a MIDI file, and assigns all the tracks to it?

Edited February 12 by ManuelGuerrero

[msmcleod]

2 hours ago, ManuelGuerrero said:

That is not really helpful. Could you please tell me of a healthy modern technology VSTi GM player that is automatically inserted on Cakewalk when opening a MIDI file, and assigns all the tracks to it?

There isn't one.  Cakewalk will only automatically insert TTS-1 when opening a MIDI file if:

1. You have TTS-1 installed, and
2. You have no hardware MIDI outputs defined.
 

4 hours ago, ManuelGuerrero said:

2025. I have replaced my old computer that I have been using for ages.

TTS-1 doesn't work on the new computer. Neither on Cakewalk Bandlab or on the registered version of Cakewalk Sonar.

I have tried the suggested solution (copy Shared DXi\TTS-1 contents and edit registry) but I gen an error.

Is there any other way to activate it? I have many projects using TTS-1

I also work a lot with GM files. It is very convenient to open them on Cakewalk (from File Explorer) because it automatically inserts TTS-1  and assigns all the tracks to it.

Alternatively, if there is really no way to recover TTS-1, is there a way to install a GM player that is automatically opened and assigns all the tracks when double click on a .MID file from File Explorer?

p.s.: I never had any issue with TTS-1, and I have been using it intensively since it was released, until this week on the new computer.

The way to do this is:

1. Copy the TTS-1 folder from your old machine into the new one (into the same directory, i.e. C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared DXi\ )
2.  Launch Power Shell as administrator (Press Windows Key + X, then press  A)  and enter the following:

regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared DXi\TTS-1\TTS-1.dll"

[EDIT]  - Just tried out the Hyper Canvas @cakerun suggested.  This works pretty well and is almost identical to TTS-1.
I'm running it JBridged, although BitBridge also worked fine. The advantage here being that it'll not crash CbB/Sonar - the worst that will happen is JBridge/BitBridge will crash should there be a problem.

[EDIT 2] - Turns out JBridge is problematic - CbB/Sonar hangs when trying to re-open the Hyper Canvas UI.  BitBridge works fine.

[ManuelGuerrero]

2 hours ago, msmcleod said:

There isn't one.  Cakewalk will only automatically insert TTS-1 when opening a MIDI file if:

1. You have TTS-1 installed, and
2. You have no hardware MIDI outputs defined.
 

The way to do this is:

1. Copy the TTS-1 folder from your old machine into the new one (into the same directory, i.e. C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared DXi\ )
2.  Launch Power Shell as administrator (Press Windows Key + X, then press  A)  and enter the following:

regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared DXi\TTS-1\TTS-1.dll"

[EDIT]  - Just tried out the Hyper Canvas @cakerun suggested.  This works pretty well and is almost identical to TTS-1.
I'm running it JBridged, although BitBridge also worked fine. The advantage here being that it'll not crash CbB/Sonar - the worst that will happen is JBridge/BitBridge will crash should there be a problem.

[EDIT 2] - Turns out JBridge is problematic - CbB/Sonar hangs when trying to re-open the Hyper Canvas UI.  BitBridge works fine.

Thank you very much. That was really helpful. I have TTS-1 working!!

The trick was to execute the command from Power Shell, not from the standard Command Prompt.

BTW: the new Cakewalk Sonar also automatically launches TTS-1 and assigns the tracks when opening a MIDI file from File Explorer.

Long Live TTS-1!
 

[Misha]

As I've mentioned in another thread, you can get a free Steinberg's Sonic 7 and GM sound set from free Dorico SE.  It does GM/program changes.

I have a full Halion which includes GM sounds, but I've talked to people recently who were able to get away with Steinberg's free offerings for GM playback.

 

[pwalpwal]

@msmcleod any plans to replace tts-1? it's decline does seem to be causing some hoo-har

[IgoRr]

1 hour ago, Misha said:

you can get a free Steinberg's Sonic 7

Halion Sonic (or full Halion) could be a worthy alternative for TTS-1, but the question is that even for Sonic, you need to download a library (a very basic one), which weighs about 20 GB. And for the full Halion, if I'm not mistaken, the basic library weighs about 30 GB. Yes, the sounds there are noticeably better than in TTS-1, but Sonic does not have a multi-channel output, and consumes significantly more system resources, unfortunately. If we compare with Halion, then for Contact there is a "factory library 1.0.3",  which weighs about 22 GB, it is slightly inferior in sound quality to Sonic, but Contact allows you to use a multi-channel output with any number of channels.

Personally, I believe that today, there is absolutely no equivalent alternative to TSS-1 in terms of characteristics, simplicity, convenience and minimal consumption of system resources. I tried about a dozen different options, tried modules from Rolland, Yamaha, different variations of "SynthFont", but among all this there is not even a little comparable to TTS-1 in simplicity, convenience and lightness.

[msmcleod]

1 hour ago, pwalpwal said:

@msmcleod any plans to replace tts-1? it's decline does seem to be causing some hoo-har

There have been discussions but nothing concrete.

FWIW the removal of TTS-1 was by request of Roland - it's their IP.

[msmcleod]

28 minutes ago, IgoRr said:

Halion Sonic (or full Halion) could be a worthy alternative for TTS-1, but the question is that even for Sonic, you need to download a library (a very basic one), which weighs about 20 GB. And for the full Halion, if I'm not mistaken, the basic library weighs about 30 GB. Yes, the sounds there are noticeably better than in TTS-1, but Sonic does not have a multi-channel output, and consumes significantly more system resources, unfortunately. If we compare with Halion, then for Contact there is a "factory library 1.0.3",  which weighs about 22 GB, it is slightly inferior in sound quality to Sonic, but Contact allows you to use a multi-channel output with any number of channels.

Personally, I believe that today, there is absolutely no equivalent alternative to TSS-1 in terms of characteristics, simplicity, convenience and minimal consumption of system resources. I tried about a dozen different options, tried modules from Rolland, Yamaha, different variations of "SynthFont", but among all this there is not even a little comparable to TTS-1 in simplicity, convenience and lightness.

Have you tried the link to HyperCanvas above?  It's almost identical to TTS-1.

[Xoo]

31 minutes ago, IgoRr said:

but among all this there is not even a little comparable to TTS-1 in simplicity, convenience and lightness.

Or lousy sound quality!