PG Music Home Forums PG Music Product Forums Band-in-a-Box for Windows Band in a Box 2025 stutters when I play MIDI [Resolved]

Hello everyone,

I ran some of Andrew's suggested tests on my Clavinova CVP 307's MIDI manager, starting with enabling or disabling the various pre-programmed MIDI templates (see screenshot below), and I got the following results:

With the MIDI Input Driver enabled in Band in a Box 2025:

- Band in a Box 2025 doesn't stutter when I select MIDI OFF (obviously!), or KBD & STYLE, or Master KBD, or Song (*)

- Band in a Box 2025 stutters when I select ALL PARTS, or Clock Ext, or MIDI Accord1, or MIDI Accord2, or MIDI Pedal1, or MIDI Pedal2.

Here's a link to download the Clavinova CVP 307/309 manual pages dedicated to MIDI settings:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HXBNxm4FUqDMJrCXIHSxEMRgO4SUh91S/view?usp=sharing

Does this provide any clue as to why MIDI doesn't work the same way in Band in Box 2025 and Band in a Box 2020?

Best.

(*) At least I now have a solution for recording MIDI with Band in a Box 2025 without it stuttering!

A dash behind an audio driver, midi driver or plugin normally means more than one instance of the driver or plugin is loaded and in use. Typically that is not a good thing because in most instances it happens while the operator is trying to get the driver or plugin to work as expected.

-1 is telling you the original CVP-307 driver and a second instance of the CVP-307 driver are loaded at the same time. -2 is telling you there are three instances of the CVP-307 driver loaded at the same time.

There are multiple ways this can happen but, without knowing the steps you took the only approach I can suggest are coarse. The coarse steps would be to navigate to options > Return To Factory Settings All and abandoning your current song project and starting a new song project.

From the sound of it, the "Song" option seems like it would work best. Does using that make things work as you expected?

Almost correct - the 1- or 2- would have to be at the start of the driver name, not at the end. In this particular case it's because the CVP-307 has multiple internal MIDI interfaces - for what purpose I'm not sure, but:

All (or nearly all) Yamaha keyboards use the same driver. I happen to have an S90 here, and BB detects it as three separate input interfaces and eight separate MIDI outputs! This is because the S90 has expansion slots, and the extra interfaces are used to address those expansions - and I believe some are used for other purposes. Either way, in this case the -1 and -2 are perfectly normal.

My assumption is that you might have originally been using a "generic" MIDI driver rather than the official Yamaha one, as the official one should show two entries for output.

Have you installed the latest official driver from Yamaha? If not, you should install it: https://usa.yamaha.com/support/updates/umd_win64_kbd.html
If so you should uninstall it, then reinstall the latest version.

Hello Simon, hello Jim,

Thanks for your messages.

I got my Dell XPS 18 computer back, the one dedicated to music, and I completely reinstalled Band in a Box 2025.

Although Band in a Box 2025 has been reset to factory settings, I still have two CVP 307s appearing in Options, MIDI/Audio Driver Setup, and MIDI Output Driver when I connect the piano directly to my Dell XPS 18, even though I have the latest version of the official Yamaha driver (which I downloaded from the Yamaha website and installed when I started testing by connecting the piano directly to the computer).

But the issue no longer arises for me because I've returned to my initial installation with the piano connected to the computer via my Roland EX Duo Capture EX digital audio interface (screenshot below).

And now that I've set my Clavinova CVP 307's MIDI to Master Keyboard, I can use Band in a Box 2025 with the MIDI Input Driver enabled without any stuttering issues.

So, I consider the problem raised by my initial question solved for me 😊!

Hello everyone,

Thank you again for your many tips and all your test ideas to resolve the stuttering issue with Band in a Box 2025 when connected to my Clavinova CVP 307 and playing with the MIDI Input Driver enabled.

Thanks to the latest test proposed by Andrew (PG Music), I now know how to work around the problem by limiting the MIDI on my piano to a setting that sends less MIDI data to Band in Box, for example by setting my Clavinova to Master Keyboard only.

I therefore consider the problem raised by my initial question resolved ... at least for me 😊!

But I still regret that we haven't found out what has changed in PG Music's MIDI handling between Band in a Box 2020 and Band in a Box 2021 and later versions!

So I'll see if other owners of "old" Clavinova CVPs have encountered the same problem as me!

Regardless, a satisfactory outcome, so this is a move in the right direction.
You may wish to open your original post and mark it as resolved (there's a button for that), as this might assist others in the future.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

I just tried to read this thread again. I skimmed it, so I apologize if I missed this, but it seems one of my earlier comments was not explored. I had asked this:

"In the first screen shot, why are there two entries for the Clavinova? Is it possible there are two drivers loaded? You might want to look in Device Manager in Windows and disable one of these."

Was this done?

While this thread is marked Resolved, I see you have begun another thread about Clavinovas. Before you can conclude the problem is some change by PG Music, you have to ensure the other conditions are equal.

In my experience, problems happen when you use different ports for a device and sometimes Windows gets confused. It's best to View the Hidden Devices in Windows Device Manager (in the Control Panel) and disable the one not being used. Then be sure to plug the device into that same port each time.

There's more. There's always more, but let's start here.

I see by your pictures that your CPU maxes out. That will cause stuttering also.

I became convinced a while ago that the problem is external to BIAB. It is either configuration, or a MIDI 'data' looping issue.

Definitely bad.

Your right Matt.

i dunno if this helps the op ...but ive compared the properties reported by win of different years bb exe sizes ie right click on exe for exe size.

for example 2025 exe size is larger than earlier versions eg 2022 by a few megs. so its possible that this might be a factor...ie a tipping point.

AT and Matt and anyone else interested...as im vision impaired...upthread is a pic of the op's task bar. it looked like the net was also running ??

in summary im not sure one can say ...'well bb ran in year xxxx with no stutters so why doesnt 2025 ?'. because for one the 2025 exe it seems is bigger.
to be fair to pg they have no way of knowing what other apps/tasks a users pc is running.

yes midi issues can be a factor but 'most' past cases ive seen over many years with peoples different pc's and stuttering is they arent optimised/set for music creation...per AT...hence why i did the tips thread in the tips forum.
thus there are many reasons for stutters.
maybe in this case the larger bb 2025 and/or the net being on and/or other external factors as AT said.

to finish i really wish latency monitor had been run cos this will give added info so informed advice can be given. i requested this earlier as i did rb track counts but no info posted back.

for background lurkers reading these threads please please consider getting your pc optimised for music production. as well as my tips in the pg tips forum there is a ton of info on the net and you tube and sites where studios hang out like gearspace.com and others. gearspace is a great site to post problems and ask for advice etc etc.

happiness.

om

Hello AudioTrack, Matt Finley, MarioD and Old Muso,

Keep in mind one thing: I never experienced this stuttering issue with Band in a Box 2010, 2015, and 2020 installed with the same initial configuration: a Clavinova CVP 307 connected to a Dell XPS 18 PC via a Roland Duo-Capture EX interface via MIDI and USB ports.

The stuttering problem only appeared when I replaced Band in a Box 2020 with Band in a Box 2025 on the same PC connected to the same piano with the same cables and ports, and I used Band in a Box 2025 with the MIDI Input driver enabled, as I did previously (*).

But I also know that the problem isn't solely with Band in a Box 2025, since, as I mentioned, Band in a Box 2025 doesn't stutter, regardless of the computer it's installed on, when I connect my PC to a Yamaha P45 piano, even if I play it with the MIDI Input driver enabled.

From all this, it's hard not to think that the problem stems from the relationship between Band in a Box 2025 and the Clavinova CVP 307! That's why I'd like to know if other CVP 307 owners are experiencing the same problem.

Best!

(*) I know today, with the tests done at the request of Andrew (PG Music), that it is from the 2021 version that Band in a Box stutters when connected to my Clavinova CVP 307 (note that the 2021 version is the first version with 16 additional tracks).

I know, it's still a puzzle. The thread is pretty long and I don't recall if it was ever stated that BIAB 2024 (and thus 2025) are fundamentally different in terms of requirements for the CPU than versions before 2024. They changed it so RealTracks regenerate much faster than before, but of course this requires more processing power. Yes, I know that's as far from MIDI as it gets, but combined with the picture of your processor maxing out, I think it's at least a good explanation why BIAB 2020 and 2025 might behave differently.

LB.

this thread keeps on returning to why does A work with X but not Y. with respect its not comparing apples to apples.
because..
..the bb versions are different and
..you have two different kbds which might have different engineering intrernaly as well as different midi protocol implementations.

see what i mean ?
yes a ford and a rolls royce might get one from A to B but internally they are engineered differently.

now lets come at this another way.
up thread i asked you if the net was activated while you were useing bb. you never replied....why ?
there are reasons i asked this....as well as why i asked you to run latency mon from resplenfence so as to assess your pc.
and also i requested rb track counts.

why are the above important ??
and shouldnt be ignored ??

answer is depending on the answers from you we can say 'ok its not that'. ie process of elimination.
ie this info alows us to drill down to the nub of your issues by ticking off possible reasons.
for example if latency mon throws up red flags then this is an important input.

so once again i ask please post back thei info requested.
so we can go through a process of elimination for possible reasons for your problems.

so PLEASE...post back...

..whether the net is active all the time.
..what latency mon reports re your pc.
..what rb reports re your possible track counts.

maybe the above info is relevent or not but we wont know till the above are known it will help greatly in ticking off possible stutter causes.
Ive seen over the years some very odd reasons for stutters.

om

Adding to Matt's message, starting in 2021 if BiaB requires more resources due to the added tracks, the CVP 307 required resources, and the fact that the computer's CPU is running near and at max indicates that the computer may not be powerful enough to run both simultaneously. I believe the fact that the Yamaha P45 piano works just fine supports that theory.

I'd like to know how much ram, the CPU speed, and how much room is available on her HD.

Ladybird did you disable your Ethernet card and everything running in the background like I previously suggested? If so did the CVP 307 and BiaB 2025 work OK? If you eliminate some of the CPU workload you may get both to work properly.

That is normal with the Yamaha driver, and you will notice it in other software.

Glad you found an acceptable solution!

This is normal with the official Yamaha driver, as there are multiple MIDI "ports" on some devices (My S90 has eight, with only one device in Device Manager).

I agree.

I also agree.

Hello OldMuso, Mario D, Matt Finley and Simon,

I ran two final tests among those suggested by Old Muso and Mario D, this time on my computer dedicated to music, the one with Windows 10, an i7 processor, and whose RAM has just been upgraded to 12 GB:

- I uninstalled all network cards and therefore prevented any internet connection. But when I reset the MIDI settings of my Clavinova to "All Parts" and play the piano with the MIDI Input driver enabled in Band in a Box 2025, it still stutters.

- I opened Windows Task Manager and looked at the computer's performance when playing Band in a Box: it seems to me that the processor is just as heavily used as when I was testing with my desktop computer, the one with Windows 11, an i3 processor, and 8 GB of RAM (screenshot below).

Although I feel guilty about not running all the tests you suggested, especially with Old Muso, who has long been making its best efforts to suggest leads for research, I'll stop now:

- My problem is practically solved since I know that there are pre-programmed MIDI settings on my Clavinova CVP 307, such as Master Keyboard, that prevent Band in a Box 2025 from stuttering when I play or record MIDI.

- Above all, I want to find time to make music again; and computer tests take up even more of my time, especially since I'm not a pro at it!

- Well, as my name suggests, I'm a LAZY bird 😊!

Thanks again, everyone!

Me tooo - well, I'm a lazy something at least. Either way it's great you've got it all up and running!

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well!

I'll get straight to the point: I'm experiencing the exact same problems as Lazy Bird, and I can't find a solution!

I'll explain because I really need help, otherwise... I don't know what to do.

I'll try to be precise.

I've been using BIAB since version 2022 on a powerful PC specifically configured for music production (unnecessary background services disabled, processes x and y closed, etc.). I'm a former IT professional, and without being pretentious, I think I know how to configure a PC.

My configuration:
PC i9 12900H - 32 GB DDR5 RAM - Extremely fast NVMe 4 SSD.
Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (this information might be relevant).

The PC is configured on a high-performance power plan set up using ThrottleStop software (basically, the machine is set to its maximum capacity). Numerous other settings are also configured (USB power off, etc.).
My equipment also includes a Roland Integra 7 expander, a Presonus 68C audio interface, and in addition to BIAB (versions 22, 23, 24, and currently version 2025), I use Cubase Pro 14, Synthesizer V, Studio Pro II, JazzLab, Spectra Layers, etc.

As for the keyboard, until recently I used a Yamaha P250 (a very old stage keyboard, I should mention, as I think this is relevant). This keyboard reached the end of its life, and I invested in, guess what... a Yamaha Clavinova CLP-835 piano (follow my gaze... it's superior to Lazy Bird's Yamaha piano, but it uses the same drivers (Yamaha Steinberg) and sends roughly the same MIDI data, which is quite large, I'll come back to that later (due to the Master Keyboard mode it has implemented, which considerably reduces the MIDI data).

Until this keyboard (the CLP-835), I was using the Yamaha P250 as my master keyboard.

To give you an idea of ​​what I was doing without ever experiencing the slightest slowdown, crash, or anything like that, with this setup, I could simultaneously open Cubase, BIAB, Synthesizer V, etc.), run all of that with ASIO sharing in multi-client mode without any problems, plus VST plugins like iZotope, various virtual instruments, etc. I mean, without any slowdowns or crashes. A real beast of a setup.

And to be clear, I could use BIAB as a standard application or as an add-in without any problems.

But here's the thing: what I used to do, I can no longer do. For the simple reason that BIAB now slows down when I use the Yamaha 835 CLP while playing over an arrangement. And that's the only reason it crashes (or at least slows down, because enabling ASIO sharing prevents the program from crashing, but the random slowdowns persist)! As soon as I'm not playing via MIDI with this keyboard, everything works. If I don't open the MIDI input port on this keyboard, everything works.

I've done a lot of research. I've tried every possible setting, even limiting the Yamaha's MIDI messages as much as possible (for example, keeping only Note On and Off, nothing else [the 835 CLP doesn't have a Master Keyboard only mode]). Nothing works! As soon as I play MIDI using the keyboard's MIDI input in BIAB, the software experiences random slowdowns, and not always at the same time.

I can't take it anymore! :-)

So the question is simple: why did I have no problems with the Yamaha P250? Why do I have these problems with the CLP (which, coincidentally, is very similar to the Lazy Bird piano)?

What's more, folks, the CLP 835 works like a charm with Cubase! And what's more, with RealBand, it works like a charm! In both cases, no slowdowns, no crashes, nothing.

So what's the problem? From my limited experience, I have the following feeling: there's something wrong with BIAB's MIDI handling. Something that, even worse, doesn't exist in RealBand.

Could there be a problem with chord recognition? Something related to this function (which I don't think can be disabled, at least I haven't found a way) is causing Biab to suddenly become "overloaded," something like that. Its internal engine (to put it that way) seems overwhelmed. It's not the PC that's slowing it down or causing the problem, as I've already explained. And as I said, the keyboard works perfectly with Cubase and RealBand without any MIDI event filtering!

The reason I'm talking about chord recognition is that, unless I'm mistaken, it's the only thing that distinguishes Biab (regarding MIDI input) from RealBand, right?

Then, of course, why did it work perfectly with the P250 and not with the CLP 835???

HELP HELP!!! :-)

Thanks everyone.

FHO, I suggest you start a new thread on this as this one has been resolved so some may not look at it again.

As far as your problem you have already done everything that I would have suggested; note that I work in MIDI but do not record in BiaB. IIRC there was and maybe still is an issue using ASIO in BiaB but as you can use your other keyboard that probably not the issue, but you might try MME just as an experiment. The only other thing I can think of is to increase your ASIO buffers; that is if you already haven't done so. I know these probably won't help.

Good luck.