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** I'm not technically savvy so please be kind to me*** My BIAB laptop is under performing - it stutters and stops during songs. F12 is my best friend  From reading earlier forum posts, I downloaded & ran Geek Bench, but the results mean nothing to me. Can someone please tell me what the results mean? Apart from BIAB I don't run anything from this laptop - it has no virus protection and limited internet access. TOSHIBA Satellite A500 Single-Core Score Multi-Core Score 1358 1536 Geekbench 4.1.1 Tryout for Windows x86 (32-bit) Result Information Upload Date August 19 2017 07:01 AM Views 1 System Information TOSHIBA Satellite A500 Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit) Model TOSHIBA Satellite A500 Processor Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 @ 2.19 GHz 1 processor, 2 cores Processor ID GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10 Processor Codename Penryn Processor Package Socket P (478) L1 Instruction Cache 32 KB x 2 L1 Data Cache 32 KB x 2 L2 Cache 2048 KB L3 Cache 0 KB Motherboard TOSHIBA KSKAA Northbridge Intel GM45/GM47 07 Southbridge Intel 82801IM (ICH9-M) 03 BIOS TOSHIBA V2.00 Memory 4096 MB DDR2 SDRAM 399MHz Single-Core Performance Single-Core Score 1358 Crypto Score 76 Integer Score 1647 Floating Point Score 1101 Memory Score 1417 AES 76 59.2 MB/sec LZMA 1860 2.91 MB/sec JPEG 1879 15.1 Mpixels/sec Canny 1268 17.6 Mpixels/sec Lua 1347 1.38 MB/sec Dijkstra 2095 1.42 MTE/sec SQLite 1483 41.1 Krows/sec HTML5 Parse 1410 6.40 MB/sec HTML5 DOM 1885 1.71 MElements/sec Histogram Equalization 1482 46.3 Mpixels/sec PDF Rendering 1292 34.3 Mpixels/sec LLVM 2534 174.3 functions/sec Camera 1668 4.63 images/sec SGEMM 512 10.8 Gflops SFFT 699 1.74 Gflops N-Body Physics 1005 750.8 Kpairs/sec Ray Tracing 989 144.5 Kpixels/sec Rigid Body Physics 1644 4814.7 FPS HDR 1764 6.40 Mpixels/sec Gaussian Blur 927 16.3 Mpixels/sec Speech Recognition 1580 13.5 Words/sec Face Detection 1580 461.6 Ksubwindows/sec Memory Copy 829 2.30 GB/sec Memory Latency 4503 96.1 ns Memory Bandwidth 763 4.08 GB/sec Multi-Core Performance Multi-Core Score 1536 Crypto Score 75 Integer Score 1960 Floating Point Score 1326 Memory Score 1263 AES 75 58.2 MB/sec LZMA 2362 3.69 MB/sec JPEG 2464 19.8 Mpixels/sec Canny 1732 24.0 Mpixels/sec Lua 1739 1.79 MB/sec Dijkstra 2068 1.40 MTE/sec SQLite 1456 40.4 Krows/sec HTML5 Parse 1784 8.10 MB/sec HTML5 DOM 1880 1.70 MElements/sec Histogram Equalization 1972 61.6 Mpixels/sec PDF Rendering 1701 45.2 Mpixels/sec LLVM 3342 229.8 functions/sec Camera 1627 4.51 images/sec SGEMM 513 10.9 Gflops SFFT 696 1.74 Gflops N-Body Physics 1378 1.03 Mpairs/sec Ray Tracing 1297 189.5 Kpixels/sec Rigid Body Physics 2215 6484.8 FPS HDR 2356 8.54 Mpixels/sec Gaussian Blur 919 16.1 Mpixels/sec Speech Recognition 1833 15.7 Words/sec Face Detection 2271 663.3 Ksubwindows/sec Memory Copy 854 2.37 GB/sec Memory Latency 3074 140.8 ns Memory Bandwidth 769 4.11 GB/sec Am I using a popgun when I should be using a cannon? It's an old laptop, and probably needs to be replaced. Or not??? Any comments are appreciated. (sorry for the long post)
Cheers,
Keith
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Keith, When you say... My BIAB laptop is under performing - it stutters and stops during songs. ... try this and see if it makes a difference. 1. Load a song with known playback problems. 2. Right-click on the chord sheet and select "Song Settings". 3. In the Song Settings menu, select "This song has playback problems, disable fast generation". 4. Generate the song (it will take slightly longer now before it plays). Did that help? Also, when did you last defrag your computer? Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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With Geekbench, we compare only one spec: the single core score. Yours (barely) meets the minimum requirements for BIAB.
In addition to Noel’s tip, look in Options, Preferences, RealTracks and find a couple of checkboxes having to do with slower PCs.
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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Keith, Visit Toshiba's website and go to the page that has software and drivers for your laptop. Download and install any updates that have been posted since the last time you visited the site. Visit Intel's website +++ HERE +++. Download and run the Intel chipset scanner. The utility program identifies what Intel chips are used inside the laptop, examines the chipset drivers in Windows and suggests updates if they are needed. While looking over the information I did not see how much memory your laptop has. Your laptop can use 4 GB of memory. +++ Crucial.com +++ has a utility program that scans your computer and suggests memory that works in your computer. If your laptop has only 1 or 2 GB of memory upgrading to the full 4 GB is inexpensive and pretty easy to do. If you're not comfortable swapping memory any computer shop can do it and may not charge you if you buy the memory from them. If you have not run the hard drive defrag program in a a long time you may need to let the program run overnight. It can take a day or longer for the program to complete.
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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Thank you guys, I appreciate your help and will try your suggestions. I run defrag regularly, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Matt - the single core score you mentioned is 1358; ideally what should it be?
Cheers,
Keith
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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Matt - the single core score you mentioned is 1358; ideally what should it be?
Higher.
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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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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Hee hee. A little higher or a lot higher?
Cheers,
Keith
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OK. I've decided to bite the bullet and buy a new laptop.
Can anyone please advise the minimum specs that I should look for?
I only use it for BIAB so I don't need a lot of extras.
And a further question; since I've had the old laptop (about 9 years) I've updated every year, and purchased all of the extras from PG Music - some were on CDs and some were downloaded (the main program is on a HDD)
To save a lot of time, if I were to copy the bb file from the old laptop, transfer it to an external drive, and then copy that to the new laptop, would that work?.
Cheers,
Keith
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Keith, Your plan to copy the \bb and \Realband folders to an external source and then load that onto your new computer will work fine. This is what I do every time I get a new computer. You will need to run the 2017 minimal install after doing the above so that you set the new computer up for BIAB. Make sure you deactivate BIAB (under the Help option) before deleting it off your older computer. This will preserve the 3 activations that PG Music give. The below thread has more detailed information on this process if you wish to read it. http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=423589#Post423589Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Thanks Noel, I appreciate your help.
I'll give that a try.
Cheers,
Keith
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Hi
Don't just get minimum specs. Get the most powerful you can afford. I would have thought most new laptops would be plenty powerful enough. Make sure it has a big Hard drive in the laptop, lots of USB slots. Preferably USB 3. If you don't need a laptop (eg for performing live), you get a lot more bang for your bucks with desktops. I wouldn't bother with a DVD drive etc unless you have poor internet. I guess most new laptops don't even have DVD drives now. Others will add more useful info as well.
Windows 10 Home 20H2 Build 19042.487
BIAB 2021 (Build 818)
Intel(R) Core(TM), i3-4160, CPU @3.60 GHz RAM 16 GB, 64 Bit X64-based processor
Zoom UAC-2 (USB 3 interface-built in midi)
VoiceLive 3 Extreme, Sputnik Valve Condenser Mic
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I only use it for BIAB so I don't need a lot of extras. You're thinking of this exactly backwards. This statement implies you're "only running Biab" like that's some simple thing. No, any digital audio software that renders and manipulates audio (which includes Biab or any DAW like Real Band) stresses the heck out of a computer. There are no "extras" there's only the CPU, RAM and type of system drive which in the modern world means an SSD not a spinning hard drive. Any new PC with mid range power will have USB 3 so I guess an extra would be the number of USB ports. More is better. You asked Matt how much higher. My answer: A lot. The computer in my sig that I picked up off Ebay used last year for $600 scores 3,287. That's middle of the pack, high end new machines can score 7,500. I just ran the new Geekbench 4 and they don't test single core any more, they have something called Open CL and my score is 17,815. I have no idea what that means or how it compares to the old single core score. Anyway like was said, get the most CPU and ram you can afford with a minimum 256 gig SSD. 128 gigs would really be cutting it close for a system drive running audio apps. An i5 processor would be my minimum with an i7 much preferred. Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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I agree with Bob and lambada about getting a powerful computer. I will disagree with lambada about a DVD/CD burner. I would try to get an internal DVD/CD drive. IMHO you need a DVD/CD drive so you can burn your songs to CDs, create a boot disk (which you can not do with an external drive) etc. YMMV
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Many years ago, I bought a netbook (big mistake) that had no CD/DVD drive. I bought an external USB drive for it. I actually still have it; my wife’s Mac mini has no CD/DVD drive either. So, you should be able to add this if needed.
I have to say, I hardly use the burner anymore, what with MP3s even in my car.
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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From what I've read there's no need for a recovery CD either. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17422/windows-8-create-usb-recovery-drive.Another thing I read but can't find the article, is USB 3 is fast enough to use a thumb drive to put your cloned HD on and then boot from it. I recently picked up a 64 Gig USB 3 Sandisk thumb drive for that but haven't cloned my OS to it yet. Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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This is interesting. I have two laptops and never will boot from a USB port, even if I set it up to do so in the BIOS. Apparently on these two the OS must load prior to opening the USB ports. Maybe things have changed in the last two years?
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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You should be able to boot from USB .. needing an OS to load first defeats the purpose.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Yep....
I agree, always buy as much computer and processing power as you can afford.
Having said that....
Often when people come in asking about performance related issues and say they're getting clicks, pops, hesitation, stuff out of sync, the first thing I think about is the sound card. It's generally at the root of those sorts of problems.
You can't generally get good performance out of factory (stock) sound cards and their drivers. Most of the folks here and on other music recording web sites are using third party external sound cards and ASIO drivers. Just about any computer will run the software just fine, but you do need to have a soundcard/interface that's up to the task.
I have run and still have a laptop that is pitifully under-powered by today's and PG's minimum requirements. YET.... with my Focusrite interface and ASIO drivers, I get absolutely great performance in spite of the fact that is s duo-core, running Vista for the OS and I think it has either 1 or 2 gig at most for it's memory.
My standard desktop DAW is similar.... 4GB, i5 chip, XP pro/32 and it's a rock solid workhorse.
You will get better performance out of an old bare minimum computer with a nice aftermarket recording interface than you will with a state of the art computer with a factory standard soundcard chip set.
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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I note that I have an Intel I5-4430 @3.00 GHz, with 10GB of ram on an HP Machine. When I download the Intel Chipset scan, it said these are generic Intel customized by the manufacturer. And that statement is a link, where all the mfrs come up, and I can choose HP, but that goes to their general support website, so I didn't go any further. I'm not having any problems with BB, my mic and headphone and keyboard all go through the Focusrite Scarlett Solo.
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http://www.wirerealm.com/guides/top-10-best-computers-music-productionThe Lenevo Think Server looks good. Now that Band in a Box comes on its own hard drive, has that changed anything, as far as what computer to use? I have a fast C: drive that runs the programs, and a big ol' 1T hybrid D: where the working files are sent. Video is like audio, by uses more power and space.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
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Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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