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Just when I thought I was out—they pull me back in! So, I've had my travails in getting my KeyStation 88 to work with my Win10/SoundBlaster Z set up, but I finally have it where the sound works, works pretty consistently and at a reasonable volume. It also doesn't lag...much...at first! (Read in William Shatner's voice for best effect.) But...slowly...the lag appears...begins to embiggen...and pretty soon, I'm wondering if I've gone mad, or if I've gone sane in a mad world. (It IS actually, kind of funny, as I play slower and slower because the notes are coming out slower.) Actually, I think now (I've been mulling this for a few days) it's always a little laggy. I had a better pianist than I come in try it and she noticed immediately. It seems better or worse from moment to moment but I can't nail it down. So...how to troubleshoot this? These are my MIDI settings: - My MIDI Input Driver is "Keystation 88". That's the only thing I've found that works.
- My MIDI Output Driver is Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth or Microsoft MIDI Mapper.
- My Synthesizer/Sound card is Coyote WaveTable DXI. (I can use any of the others apparently; I haven't figured out the significance of this. Though it doesn't seem to matter vis a vis the lag.)
- I've checked Use VSTi/DXi synth.
- I've checked Route MIDI thru to MIDI driver.
- My GM2 Support is General MIDI 2 (GM2) support.
- Audio Settings are ASIO always.
1) If I exit BiaB and come back, the lag reduces, but never actually goes away AFAICT. 2) I'm using ASIO4All. 3) I can use the SBZ driver, too, but that doesn't seem matter much. 4) I set the quality settings to "Fast" 5) If I click the "Get from soundcard" button at any time, BiaB crashes. I am open to any solution to removing lag. Hardware/software/whatever.
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What are your computer specs? Ram? CPU speed? HD speed? etc
Does the slow down also happen in RB or any other DAW or music device?
Are there tempo changes in the song?
If there are no tempo changes and the song starts out OK but then slows down it sounds like you are pushing something to the limit. Maybe the CPU, sound card, RAM, HD, etc but without the computer spec information it is hard to many any conclusion.
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Just when I thought I was out—they pull me back in! So, I've had my travails in getting my KeyStation 88 to work with my Win10/SoundBlaster Z set up, but I finally have it where the sound works, works pretty consistently and at a reasonable volume. It also doesn't lag...much...at first! (Read in William Shatner's voice for best effect.) But...slowly...the lag appears...begins to embiggen...and pretty soon, I'm wondering if I've gone mad, or if I've gone sane in a mad world. (It IS actually, kind of funny, as I play slower and slower because the notes are coming out slower.) Actually, I think now (I've been mulling this for a few days) it's always a little laggy. I had a better pianist than I come in try it and she noticed immediately. It seems better or worse from moment to moment but I can't nail it down. So...how to troubleshoot this? These are my MIDI settings: - My MIDI Input Driver is "Keystation 88". That's the only thing I've found that works.
- My MIDI Output Driver is Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth or Microsoft MIDI Mapper.
- My Synthesizer/Sound card is Coyote WaveTable DXI. (I can use any of the others apparently; I haven't figured out the significance of this. Though it doesn't seem to matter vis a vis the lag.)
- I've checked Use VSTi/DXi synth.
- I've checked Route MIDI thru to MIDI driver.
- My GM2 Support is General MIDI 2 (GM2) support.
- Audio Settings are ASIO always.
1) If I exit BiaB and come back, the lag reduces, but never actually goes away AFAICT. 2) I'm using ASIO4All. 3) I can use the SBZ driver, too, but that doesn't seem matter much. 4) I set the quality settings to "Fast" 5) If I click the "Get from soundcard" button at any time, BiaB crashes. I am open to any solution to removing lag. Hardware/software/whatever. Your problem is self inflicted. You are using 2 soundcards. One for input ... the KS88 and then you use the MS wavetable as the output. You really need to find ONE interface/card, which can support both in and out from the same card. I'd lay a bet that there is no clock sync between the 2 cards you are using. Since they both run at approximately the same clock speed, they start at the same time but the non-synced clocks soon start to wander out of sync and there you have it. The further you go, the worse it gets. Sound blaster cards can be made to work in some, perhaps even many cases but are not the ideal recording card to be using. That's why many folks have bought and use a third party external dedicated musical interface. I have a Focusrite Saffire to handle all of my musical input and output duties. It works exceptionally well. The only solution is to get, obtain, buy, beg, borrow, or steal, a decent interface that will permit you to do input and output of both audio and midi from the same card. Focusrite, M-Audio, Presonus, are all good options and will work well, use ASIO, and do the job. You can still send the KS88 midi into the computer via the interface. It uses a 5 pin midi connector so get an interface with a 5 pin midi input and you're golden. The software will be using the ONE interface for INPUT and OUTPUT so you won't have the clock sync issues.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 04/15/17 02:49 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Never use MIDI Mapper unless there is no other choice.
That alone could cause your issue. PGMusic has said a couple times that simply using the MS GS Wavetable synth as the default instead (even if using a soft synth in the long run) has solved some issues like this.
Herb's solution is preferred, but thought I'd mention the above in case it helps you or others.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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>> What are your computer specs? Ram? CPU speed? HD speed? etc I'm gonna go with "more than sufficient" but...it's a (multicore) i7-6700 @ 3.4 Ghz with 32GB of RAM. I have an SSD but I'm running BiaB off the traditional hard-drive which is a pretty usual 7200RPM. >>Does the slow down also happen in RB or any other DAW or music device? I don't really grasp DAWs but I managed to get sound out of a couple other MIDI-thru apps and they, too, lag. >>Are there tempo changes in the song? I'm not even at the "song" level. I'm just talking pressing keys on the keyboard and noticing a delay which seems to change (and mostly increase). >>If there are no tempo changes and the song starts out OK but then slows down it sounds like you are pushing something to the limit. Maybe the CPU, sound card, RAM, HD, etc but without the computer spec information it is hard to many any conclusion.<< It does sound like that, but the computer shows no signs of stress whatsoever. Like, the CPU sitting with BiaB open and idle looks exactly the same as the CPU sitting with BiaB open and me hitting the keys. I opened the Performance Monitor and added a few likely candidates that might be stressed and, no, there's not the slightest indication that BiaB even registers when I'm hitting keys, or when I'm generating and playing something random (except that when it's playing a full, randomly-generated piece, it reads more from the disk).
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Your problem is self inflicted. This is not surprising. >>You are using 2 soundcards. One for input ... the KS88 and then you use the MS wavetable as the output. Am I? The KS88 has no sound card, it's just an input device, if I understand what you mean be "sound card" and also what the Keystation 88 is all about. >>You really need to find ONE interface/card, which can support both in and out from the same card. I'm not 100% sure I'm using ANY sound card, to be honest. You say, "hey, dsbw, you must be using SOME sound card 'cause, you know, you have sound!" But if the in is a sound-card-less KS88 and the out is the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth—which is a softsynth, IIRC—then I'm using as little sound card as it's possible to use, it seems to me. >>I'd lay a bet that there is no clock sync between the 2 cards you are using. Since they both run at approximately the same clock speed, they start at the same time but the non-synced clocks soon start to wander out of sync and there you have it. The further you go, the worse it gets.<< I like this explanation because I understand it, generally, if not which 2 cards are involved here. Anyway, I plugged in my kid's keyboard and found that it lagged (noticably, since it DOES have a built-in synth) and that led to a solution.
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GOT IT! (And it was self-inflicted and I am a moron)
I plugged my kid's keyboard in and found the same lag, which eliminated the KS88 as the problem source.
Then I routed the sound through the monitor via the Onboard AMD sound processor and disabled the Sound Blaster.
Boom. Lag gone.
Sound Blaster does all this processing for games and movies (though I think the sync issues would drive me nuts there, too) so I just turned off all the special features and the lag went away.
Thanks for the walk-through, guys. That really helped me narrow it down.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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