How to Fix Corrupted Soundbanks in Guitar Pro 6

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When working with a digital music software like Guitar Pro 6 (GP6), you may encounter various issues that can hinder your productivity. One such problem is the corruption of soundbank files (.gbs, .sgb). These files contain samples and configurations for different instruments or effects used in your compositions.

In this article, we'll guide you through a step-by-step process to troubleshoot and fix corrupted soundbanks in GP6 on Windows operating systems:

Symptoms of Corrupted Soundbanks

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Before diving into the solutions, it's essential to recognize the signs that indicate an issue with your soundbank files. Look out for these symptoms:

1. Distorted or missing sounds when playing back a song.

2. Error messages stating 'Sound bank not found' or similar when trying to load or use a particular instrument.

Troubleshooting Corrupted Soundbanks

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### Method 1: Reinstalling Guitar Pro 6

Sometimes, the simplest solution is to start from scratch by reinstalling GP6 entirely:

1. Close all instances of Guitar Pro 6.

2. Go to your Control Panel (Windows Start > Control Panel) and select 'Programs & Features' or 'Add/Remove Programs', depending on your version.

3. Find and click the entry for 'Guitar Pro 6'.

4. Confirm that you want to uninstall GP6 by clicking 'Yes'.

After completing these steps, restart your computer.

### Method 2: Reinstalling Soundbanks Separately

If reinstalling the entire software doesn't resolve the issue, try re-installing only the affected soundbank(s):

1. Go to your Guitar Pro 6 installation directory (usually C:\Program Files\Steinberg\Shared Sounds on a standard Windows installation).

2. Look for the 'Soundfonts' or 'Sounds' folder.

3. Within this folder, locate the specific soundbank that's causing problems and delete it entirely.

### Method 3: Re-scanning Guitar Pro 6

GP6 may not automatically re-scan its sound library after installing new sounds or removing corrupted ones. To force a rescan:

1. Open GP6.

2. Go to 'Options' > 'Preferences'.

3. In the resulting dialog, click on 'File & Export'.

### Method 4: Repairing Corrupted Files

If none of the above methods work, it's possible that your soundbank files themselves are corrupted and need repair or replacement:

1. Right-click (or press-and-hold Ctrl+Click) on the affected song file (.gp6).

2. Select 'Properties' from the context menu.

3. In the Properties dialog box, click on 'Details'.

4. Look for the 'Soundbank path' field at the bottom and copy its contents.

Then:

1. Go to your Guitar Pro 6 installation directory (as described in Method 1 above).

2. Locate the 'Presets' folder within it.

3. Within this folder, find a subfolder named after your soundbank type (.gbs for General MIDI sounds, .sgb for Steinberg Soundbanks etc.).

### Additional Tips

- Always keep backups of your projects and settings to prevent data loss in case you need to perform an exhaustive system restore or re-installation.

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Corrupted soundbanks can be frustrating and time-consuming to resolve. By following these steps outlined above, however, most users should be able to identify the source of their problems and find a solution that allows them back into creating music with ease using Guitar Pro 6 on Windows operating systems.

Guitar pro 6 soundbanks corrupted