Are there any other non-music programs running...there shouldn't be.

Are you using a wireless network card...if so it will keep polling and use lots of CPU...disable when you are running RB.

Is your antivirus scanning each tracks, file, etc from the external PG drive....exclude the external PG drive from AV realtime scans.

Do you have your ASIO buffers set extremely low putting more load on the CPU...perhaps back them off a bit and see if this has an effect on latency and sound.

No need to restrict access to PG FX on each tracks if they are not being used (active).

Typically, I'll see a 25% RB load and 50% Total CPU load on the system until RB has completely loaded all audio tracks....remember RB completely loads all tracks before playback can start unlike BIAB which regens on the fly so to speak. But after all the tracks have load, my RB drops to approx. 2% on RB and 8-10% total load on the system on playback using 5-7 audio tracks.

Jeff

Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2025, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3