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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 368
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 368 |
I use BB 2016 build 428 under WIN 7 and output everything through my Roland SD-50 Sound Canvas.
On some tunes is seems that there is too much going on at the same time for either BB or the SD-50 to cope, resulting in variable volume dropouts of some tracks.
Is there a way to allocate more resources in WIN 7 to BB, which on this computer is the only program I use most of the time
Tonnie
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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A few thoughts:
You can make sure other processes are not interfering. Run the free DPC Latency Checker, or the free Latency Monitor. The DPC site has useful instructions for how to approach the process. [For anyone else reading, DPC is better on Windows 7 only; 8 and 10 gives readings way too high].
I do remember the ability to run a program at high priority, processor-wise, but I haven't used that in Windows for over 10 years.
Are you aware of the two checkboxes in Preferences, RealTracks that are for 'slower' PCs? No harm in using them even if your machine is top of the line.
And of course, always reboot first, which clears system resources.
You mentioned the SD-50, which makes me wonder if what you are hearing (or aren't hearing) is from MIDI notes dropping out. All these MIDI synths have limits on polyphony, the number of simultaneous sounds. What people may not realize is that out of a limit of 64 or 128, a single sound is usually not one but more likely a combination of three to six sounds. Put in harmony and several MIDI tracks and you are over the limit. Check your Roland manual for your limit, and look at the patch list of sounds and you'll see what I mean. If this is happening to you, record one or two MIDI tracks to audio and take the song into RealBand or another DAW.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 238
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 238 |
You can boost the priority of BIAB as follows: a) CTL-ALT-DEL and select "Start Task Manager" b) Select "Processes" tab c) Right click the BIAB process (don't know the name) d) In the pop-up window, Move the cursor over "Set Priority" and then click on "Above Normal" I do this with another program I have and don't have any problems. Not sure about boosting it higher, though. Use at your own risk!! 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 674
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 674 |
A few thoughts:
You can make sure other processes are not interfering. Run the free DPC Latency Checker, or the free Latency Monitor. The DPC site has useful instructions for how to approach the process. [For anyone else reading, DPC is better on Windows 7 only; 8 and 10 gives readings way too high].
I do remember the ability to run a program at high priority, processor-wise, but I haven't used that in Windows for over 10 years.
Are you aware of the two checkboxes in Preferences, RealTracks that are for 'slower' PCs? No harm in using them even if your machine is top of the line.
And of course, always reboot first, which clears system resources.
You mentioned the SD-50, which makes me wonder if what you are hearing (or aren't hearing) is from MIDI notes dropping out. All these MIDI synths have limits on polyphony, the number of simultaneous sounds. What people may not realize is that out of a limit of 64 or 128, a single sound is usually not one but more likely a combination of three to six sounds. Put in harmony and several MIDI tracks and you are over the limit. Check your Roland manual for your limit, and look at the patch list of sounds and you'll see what I mean. If this is happening to you, record one or two MIDI tracks to audio and take the song into RealBand or another DAW.
Matt, are you saying that DPC latency in Win8.1 and Win10 is higher than Win7 and there's nothing we can do about it?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 368
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 368 |
Mat, Ralph and Beagle,
Thanks for getting back to me.
I have tried Ralph’s suggestion to boost the priority of BIAB.
Sorry to say that there was no effect, so I am now leaning towards Mat’s suggestion of the limitation on polyphony within the SD-50.
The strange thing is that in the arrangement, I first noticed these problems of track’s volumes dropping out is mainly on the REAL Drums track, which should be audio and hence not a great load on the SD-50.
1) Any other suggestions?
2) Are there other Sound Canvas units with greater polyphony?
Brgds,
Tonnie
PS Will download the DPC Latency Checker
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
Matt,
are you saying that DPC latency in Win8.1 and Win10 is higher than Win7 and there's nothing we can do about it?
Sorry if it wasn't clear. DPC Latency Checker is great to measure Windows 7 but they did not update the program for 8, 8.1 or 10. It still works, relatively speaking, but shows readings that are higher than they really are. That's why they need to update the DPC program. Latency Monitor, another utility program, is harder to read but does the same thing, and works accurately on all those versions of Windows. But to the heart of the question, Windows 8 and especially 10 have been reported as better for digital audio than Windows 7. I get most of my info from the techs at Cakewalk, who make SONAR.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
The strange thing is that in the arrangement, I first noticed these problems of track’s volumes dropping out is mainly on the REAL Drums track, which should be audio and hence not a great load on the SD-50.
1) Any other suggestions?
2) Are there other Sound Canvas units with greater polyphony?
Brgds,
Tonnie
Correct, the audio of the RealDrums should have been the least likely to cause your problem. The polyphony limitation has no effect on audio, only MIDI. My older Roland and Edirol hardware synths had either 64 or 128 sound polyphony. I don't know about the SD-50. EDIT: it has 128, same as the Integra-7 I have. That's almost as good as it gets. Only the Roland Jupiter 50 had 256, to my knowledge.
Last edited by Matt Finley; 12/11/15 12:05 PM.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
An aside about the priority question: I remember now why I didn't continue using the method Ralph gave above, to raise the priority of BIAB. In Windows 10, it appears you must set the priority each time you start the program. That's very annoying. The steps are a bit more convoluted in 10 as well, plus you still get that warning that dong this might cause problems.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 674
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 674 |
Matt,
are you saying that DPC latency in Win8.1 and Win10 is higher than Win7 and there's nothing we can do about it?
Sorry if it wasn't clear. DPC Latency Checker is great to measure Windows 7 but they did not update the program for 8, 8.1 or 10. It still works, relatively speaking, but shows readings that are higher than they really are. That's why they need to update the DPC program. Latency Monitor, another utility program, is harder to read but does the same thing, and works accurately on all those versions of Windows. But to the heart of the question, Windows 8 and especially 10 have been reported as better for digital audio than Windows 7. I get most of my info from the techs at Cakewalk, who make SONAR. GREAT! thanks for the clarification! whew! I thought that there wasn't supposed to be anything in 8.1 or 10 that caused more DPC latency, but you had me worried for a minute! and yes, I get most of my info from there, too, Matt! 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 238
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 238 |
I remember now why I didn't continue using the method Ralph gave above, to raise the priority of BIAB. In Windows 10, it appears you must set the priority each time you start the program. That's very annoying. I use it on a program I start up once a day and leave it running. Even then a bit of a PITA.
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